Detective Levi
by gabrielle015
Summary: Detective Levi is assigned to find a kidnapped Grisha Yeager and protect Eren Yeager. Easy enough; he's done much worse. But what happens when gunshots and car chases are no longer the most dangerous things Levi faces? What happens when he faces love? With a seventeen-year-old hothead to be exact.
1. Chapter 1

1

Friday night; the night that everyone wants to go out because they've been working like dogs the entire week and they needed to enjoy themselves. Most people his age were out getting shitfaced and finding somebody to couple with for the night, but Levi was different. Matter of fact, he couldn't remember a time where he cared about drinking himself sick, and he never had to try too hard to find somebody to sleep with. Hangovers weren't fun, and sex was just sex. He could go out any time and try to entertain himself, but he was content with the serenity and solitude of his own apartment. The nice side of town, 34th floor, marble and ivory accents, black mustang. Everything he wanted. So, at 12:00 am in the morning, all he wanted was sleep. Because he was one of those people that worked like a dog all week, but didn't go out to relieve it. And just when he was about to get what he wanted, his cell phone emitted a shrill ringtone, signaling none other than his asshole of a boss.

"This better be fucking important."

"Levi" Erwin spoke urgently through the phone "I wouldn't call you at this time of night if it wasn't. We need you to come in."

It was true that Erwin Smith never called Levi this late at night for any reason; not as a friend or a boss. Levi had a no call policy after 10 pm, or whenever he didn't feel like answering the phone. The drive to the address was tedious. All the drunken walkers, drivers, and heavy traffic had Levi cursing at every turn. When he finally made it out of the busy city and into a more quiet part, he took in his surroundings. There were large houses on this side, suggesting gated communities. There was a golf club around a corner he turned, and a large lake there. This was the Trost area. An area of the city that people hated because all the rich, pompous assholes lived on this side. The people that were born into riches, and hardly worked for it. The people that constantly held gatherings at the famous golf club in order to celebrate nothing, and everything about it Levi disliked. There was nothing wrong with money, but when people wasted it like they wasted their words, the man was bothered.

Not to his surprise, his location was a large, white house with a nice sized yard and driveway. Probably the house of a doctor, Levi speculated. There were two police cars outside, their lights no longer flashing once Levi pulled up. Before he even got out of the car, he saw a teenage girl standing in the yard with a blond haired boy about the same age on her arm. They were listening to none other than dick-up-the-ass Erwin Smith talk about something.

Getting out, he smoothed down his overcoat as if on instinct and walked up to the scene. The front door of the house was open, leaving a nice home on the inside to his view, or what would have been if it wasn't for the broken glass and random spurts of blood on the eggshell walls and marble floor. He decided to approach Erwin first, and the man finished whatever he was saying to introduce him.

"This is Detective Levi. He will helping with your friend's situation" he paused, gesturing Levi to the two teens. "Levi, this is Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlet. Two friends of Eren Jeager."

The two teens gave words of greeting, but Levi didn't reply. Instead he went into the house to find this so called victim Erwin told him about on the phone. Seventeen year old Eren Jeager was witness to his father's brutal kidnapping. He was also caught in crossfire when he was knocked out by one of the three men that came to kidnap Grisha Jeager. Since Trost was such a large area, and the houses were spaced out more than normal, there were no neighbors to report any signs of suspicious activity. The boy didn't see the faces of the men because they wore masks, and despite all the high tech shit in the house there was no camera system.

There was nothing to go on.

This wasn't the first time Levi had been dragged into a case with barely any evidence; it never intimidated him either. There was _always_ a flaw somewhere in the system, because nothing is 100 percent perfect. He walked slowly down the entrance hallway surveying the broken glass of vases that were once perched on mahogany decorative tables. There were tiny specks of blood here and there, suggesting someone had been injured; more than likely Grisha Jeager. When he reached the end of the entrance, he saw two policemen talking to someone on the couch. The couch was faced away from the entrance, so Levi didn't see a face, but he knew it must be the boy. There was one crime scene investigator with a large camera photographing anything and everything; the flashes going off in five second intervals.

Levi looked around the nice living room and saw an arched fireplace in front of the couch. The mantel above was decorated with family photos; faces that he couldn't make out and that didn't matter to him. There was a hallway on the east side of the living room leading to the dining area and kitchen, and a set of spiral stairs on the west side. It was quite a nice place; the décor represented money; the kind that was earned; something that Levi respected.

He mentally sighed and decided it was time to meet the victim. Approaching the couch in quiet strides, he circled around until he was standing directly in front of Eren, in between the two cops. This was the part he hated the most.

He was greeted with a forlorn expression. Confusion, anger, sadness, and a hint of something else, he didn't know what, mixed together in two large green-blue orbs. There was a noticeable bruise on the left temple, not easily concealed by the black-brown hair on the victims head. He had been sweating, most likely, because it was curled at the ends and clung to his forehead like he had been soaked. Fists bunched up, breathing steadily, tan skin. This was Eren Jeager. The seventeen year old glanced up at him and held his gaze; something that not many people did. Even the people who knew him personally avoided eye contact with him for several reasons. But this teen, the one who didn't have enough fucking sense to go to the hospital, was defying that normality.

"You need a fucking bandage, kid."

Said kid only blinked his eyes once slowly, and lowered his gaze back to whatever he was looking at before. His hands, his lap, the ground, the depths of hell; Levi had no idea. But he was intent on looking down, as if he would miss something important happen beneath him if he looked away again. Levi turned to the officer next to him, a younger man, and began to speak without bothering to lower his voice.

"Did he see a medic?"

"N-no, detective" the cop stuttered under Levi's hard gaze. "He refused the help from EMT's. He seems completely coherent, though" he spoke, as if Eren wasn't sitting right in front of them. Levi rolled his eyes, and turned to look at Eren once again. Gaze still downward. He would have to do the despicable and talk to him. _Gross_. That was never an issue, but Levi hated the swirl of emotions people emitted when they had lost someone or something. He himself knew about loss. He had lost so much growing up, but he never let it deter him. He kept a straight face, same bored eyes, same low voice, same everything since adolescent years. If he could do it despite everything that had happened to him, so could other people. With a quick gesture of a hand, the two cops dismissed themselves, and Levi sat next to Jeager on the couch; as far away as possible of course.

"Your friends are outside" he started.

"I phoned them after I woke up to call the police" Eren answered in a voice so steady it surprised Levi. His voice definitely betrayed his looks, or the other way around.

"Your mother?" he inquired.

"Died when I was five. Bad car accident" was the steady answer.

"You currently have no guardians" Levi reminded. He would have to be put in foster care temporarily, so long as it takes to locate Grisha; given that he wasn't dead beforehand. This was the first time Levi had to deal with a case that involved someone younger than eighteen. He guessed that last comment got to the boy, because Eren looked over at him, anger laced in his puffy eyes, with a just as angry expression on his face.

"I'm not doing that" he protested, his voice not quite so steady. "I can take care of myself."

Levi sighed. "By law, you are required to-

"Screw the law!" Eren yelled. "The law isn't so strong if it lets shit like this happen!" he gestured to the hallway. Levi didn't waver; if anything, he cocked his left eyebrow at the sudden outburst, totally unfazed.

"The law is what's going to help you find your father. Look, I'm not in here to offer condolences, or pat your back like a baby. I'm the one that's going to find your father; dead or alive. So let's establish ground rules. One, you are going to lower your voice, don't raise it with me again. Two, you are going to answer each question I ask honestly. Three, don't fucking piss me off. I have a personal prejudice against spoiled brats. Is that clear, Jeager?"

His voice had remained low, but stern the entire time. He watched the teen go through a line of emotions. Anger for being chastised, confusion for whatever reason, and sadness probably because Levi had said 'dead or alive.' He didn't know if the boy was used to getting talked to like that, and he didn't care. Not only was Levi too sleepy for anyone's bullshit, he was also too dignified for anyone's bullshit. And that would not stop for Eren Jeager.

"Yes sir" Eren answered with his voice cracking. He dropped his gaze, but only to avoid looking Levi in the eyes. _'Good'_ he thought _'this kid is a fast learner.'_

"Relay today's events for me. Starting with the hour you woke up to this present moment. Go."

Levi listened intently as Eren did just that. He noticed how the boy's voice would raise in pitch only a little higher when any detail of his day involved his father. Apparently he had woken up at 6 a.m. to get ready for school. His dad was an early bird; up working in his office as usual. Armin Arlet's granddad transported him, Armin, and Mikasa Ackerman to Rose Academy every morning on his way to work, and picked them up every evening on his way back. School went as usual, but when Eren arrived at home at 5 p.m., his father was in the kitchen, on the house phone with someone, he didn't know who. His dad was cursing, almost yelling, and saying 'I dare you to try it' and 'it was an accident. Accidents happen.' When Eren entered the kitchen, his dad stopped talking immediately and hung up the phone without saying goodbye to whoever was on the line.

When Eren asked who it was, and what was wrong, Grisha only said it was work and not to worry about it. As Levi had suspected, the house he was sitting in belonged to a doctor; a surgeon to be specific. Eren said that he argued with his father. Saying stuff that involved him declaring he wasn't a child and he knew he was lying to him; that kind of argument between parent and child. Grisha only grabbed his keys and said he was going to the hospital to handle some business, and he would bring dinner home later. It wasn't until 8 pm that Grisha came home. Eren said he looked more frazzled than he was when he had been on the phone, and he smelled like grass. Not the scent of a hospital. Grisha indeed had no food with him, but said he would order take-out. It was 9pm when the doorbell rang, signaling a delivery. It was actually three men, two medium-height and one taller than the others, in black masks. Eren hadn't seen the beginning commotion, but when he heard yelling and some unfamiliar voices, he ran downstairs to see two men holding Grisha down while the tallest one kicked him in the stomach.

Eren charged after them, picking up one of the vases on the small tables in the hallway to hit someone over the head with, but he was easily overpowered. The vase shattered from being dropped, and one of the men grabbed the other vase to mimic what Eren was about to do, and cocked him on the side of the head. Everything went black.

The next thing he remembers is waking up in a hallway of broken glass and speckled blood. That was around 10:30 pm. He immediately got up to call the police, call his friends, and went outside to wait.

It was a few moments before Levi said anything. He absorbed all the information, and asked the age old question. "Is there anyone out there who might want to hurt your father?"

Obviously the answer was yes since it had already happened. The point of asking that question was to watch the person's face as they decided on an answer. For a moment, Eren's face was contorted in concentration, then it relaxed and he answered.

"I didn't think so, but now…" he broke off. Of course, now he knew that _yes_ indeed there was someone out there that wanted to hurt Grisha, he just had no idea why. Levi lifted his wrist to look at his watch. 12:30 am. He forced himself to not sigh at the time he lost for sleep, realizing that he was about to hit the 48 hour mark for no sleep. He was about to speak again, but he heard footsteps from more than one person echo through the hallway, and somebody called his name. "Eren!"

It was an old man, not horribly old, but old nonetheless. He had on a strange, straw bowl hat, and behind him came trotting Arming and Mikasa. Erwin followed slowly in tow.

"Mr. Arlet!" Eren shouted back. He stood up and zipped across the living room to embrace the man. _'This must be Armin's grandfather'_ Levi deduced. Mikasa and Armin joined in the embracing, and Erwin let the group be for a moment as he went over to the couch and stood in front of Levi.

"What are you thinking?" he asked as Levi continued to watch the scene before him.

"That I'm tired as shit. Let's snoop already so we can leave" he answered. Erwin nodded in agreement and announced that they were going to check Grisha's office for any evidence; anything that might help them find him. Mr. Arlet had asked them several times if they wanted any coffee, and every time Erwin kindly declined. They spent a good hour in the office, checking bookshelves, drawers, and coat pockets. The only thing they couldn't check was his laptop because it had a password, and it was more than likely that Eren did not know it either.

Levi observed the photos in Grisha's office. There was one on his desk of him, Eren as a child, and a woman with long hair and bright eyes he assumed was Eren's mother. They were at some kind of gathering. The photo was taken in front of some building that had a wisp logo on the front; or the wisp was a part of something bigger that Levi couldn't see. The boy in the picture was identical to the one downstairs, only the effects of puberty and the sun had grown on him. Those eyes looked different too. They were full of life. Much unlike right now. Levi assumed that was what Eren looked like when he didn't look so defeated and angry.

He had to admit, the brat was kind of cute. Levi, not having any sexual preference, could acknowledge that. He could also acknowledge that he had caught those green eyes, temporarily not filled with life, watching him as he moved about the house. Levi assumed that he was making sure he didn't steal anything, or put everything back in its place. Whatever, it didn't matter.

It was 1:30 am when Levi and Erwin prepared to take their leave. Erwin did the honorifics and bid them goodnight, reminding them that they would be in touch for the duration of this case. Levi never talked after he observed and gathered information. There was never anything for him to say. If anything, he was a realist. Erwin was too, but he felt the need to sugarcoat his realist ideas to victims or anyone else. Levi never sugarcoated shit but his coffee, and even then he only used a little. That kind of stuff was saved for the tall, blond charmer. People felt friendlier towards Erwin than himself, probably because Erwin offered them false senses of hope every time. Something that Levi could never do.

Mr. Arlet was saying that he would gladly take Eren in, and Mikasa was going to ask her dad if she could spend the night with them, because apparently that's what friends do. Levi left the house without saying anything to the group or to Erwin. He was more focused on where to start for this case. There wasn't anything to trace so far, but he knew the best place to start was Grisha's job. Rose Hospital.

On the drive home, Levi spotted less cars and drunken people. Probably because most of them had already headed home to sleep off impending hangovers and sleep with whomever they picked up for the night.

It wasn't as if he wouldn't want to live carefree like that, but he had never been able to. Not as a child, and he didn't want to start now. Guard-up Levi was the only Levi he knew how to be. Erwin, his friend since late teenage years, had always suggested that he try being different; a warmer Levi. He expressed that he didn't change for anybody, and Erwin left it at that. If someone would have told him then that he would grow up to be a detective, someone on the side of the law, he would have flicked them off. Because everyone says what they will and won't do, but when the pressure comes, it surprising how many people switch out; even him.

He didn't become a detective to fight for justice or any of that cliché shit people say, but he did it because there was no other option. Remain in the underground, or join the correct path. It was an option presented to him at an inconvenient time. It was given to him in his most vulnerable state. At that moment, he would have done anything to get away from the underground, even if it meant switching out. Some days he wished he would have said no; that he would have stayed where he was. But staying where he was meant death, and as difficult living was, Levi chose life instead.

When he finally reached his complex, he trudged into his ivory apartment, on the verge of falling on the ground and sleeping in the hallway. But instead, he striped himself in his bathroom and took a hot shower to ease his muscles. Before he went to sleep, he made sure everything was in its place. People called him a neat freak, and he always responded that he wasn't a neat freak, they were just dirty pigs. Instead of getting offended, they shrugged it off with little malice. No one dare try him; people had just gotten used to the fact that that's how he is, no hard feelings.

So when he finally reached the bed, he didn't pray to any god and ask for forgiveness for being rude or stern with Eren Jeager that night. He drifted off to sleep slowly, despite his exhaustion. The feeling of the comforter on his bare chest and through his clothed legs was a relief to the week. Much better than going out and getting shitfaced.

It didn't take long for sleep to finally find him, and throughout all the random images that ran behind his head before he finally slept, forlorn green-blue orbs was the last one he saw before he drifted.


	2. Chapter 2

2

This wasn't the first time Eren had spent the night at Armin's. Matter of fact, it was one of the many countless nights Eren and Armin would share his jack-sized bed. Armin's room was organized; a place for everything and everything in its place. Since childhood, the two would sit on the floor and talk about comic books, and Armin would listen to all of Eren's ranting and beyond.

Tonight was different. It was 4 a.m. and Eren had no intentions of sleeping; the side of his head still slightly throbbing. After all, his father was missing, and possibly dead.

Armin, Mikasa, and Armin's grandfather all made a beeline to clean up his front hallway. When Eren tried to help, they shooed him away and told him to relax. But he couldn't relax. He wanted to busy his mind so he wouldn't have to think about the events of earlier.

Now here he was, cramped in a bed with Mikasa and Armin. Mikasa told her uncle that she was staying at Armin's for the night. He never asked why. Being the uncaring guardian he was, Mikasa could pretty much run the streets all night if she wanted to. As long as she did what was right in school, then her uncle never cared.

It wasn't hot, but it was warm. Eren was sandwiched in the middle, with Mikasa to his left and Armin to his right. Both were sound asleep, and Eren was sure that if he budged, he'd wake them both up. His throat felt sore; probably from fighting back tears. He wouldn't cry about this. Wherever his father was, he was alright. He had to be. Eren's main concern was why? What the hell was his father into? He couldn't stomach losing both his parents before adulthood. It was times like these that Eren missed his mother so much it was sickening. Carla always had this way of comforting someone without saying a thing. Making someone laugh without telling a joke. Chastising with a single glance. Loving with her kind touches.

Eren noticed the older he got, the more he forgot about her. Her touches, kisses, and kind words were all memories from early childhood, and they were slowly slipping away each year. It wasn't as if Grisha wasn't a good father, but he always put his work above everything else. Eren didn't even remember seeing Grisha cry over Carla's death. Mikasa had reminded Eren that grown men don't like to show their emotions. What a profound thing to say at such a young age. But Mikasa had learned a lot early on from losing her parents.

He sighed quietly, glad that he was surrounded by caring people. He wondered if grandfather would make him go to school still. Knowing him, he would. Armin and his grandfather held absolute respect for academics and knowledge, and not even a missing parent should stop either of those virtues in Eren's life.

Armin too had lost both his parents, but that was later on. He was eight, and it was a bad car accident. It was too odd, how similar all three of their lives were. They found friendship in their suffering, and without it being spoken, they promised to stay by each other's side.

It wasn't until 5 a.m. that Eren started to feel some sort of tiredness. It was probably from getting knocked out and waking up to discover his father was gone, and answering questions from the feds.

Speaking of the authorities….

That detective, the short one with the bad attitude, Eren was sure would make his life hell. Before Commander Smith left, he informed Eren that Levi would be the person to consult throughout the remainder of the case. Giving him his and Levi's number, Eren looked unsure in the blue eyes of the man. Erwin only smiled and with a hard pat to the back told Eren that he could call Levi any time before 10 p.m.

Levi didn't like him, and he didn't like Levi, that much he was sure. Eren thought that the guy had no life, and chose to take his frustration out on other people. There were unlikable things he could point out about Levi, like his lack of emotion and distant aurora, but besides the cons, the pros were that he was good looking.

For someone so short, Eren could still tell that there was muscle underneath that sports coat he wore. The black v-neck top he had on showed enough of the top of his chest for Eren to deduce that the man was muscular. The whole time he was explaining what happened, Levi looked bored, almost as if he wasn't listening. But if Eren paused at any point, he'd lift his eyebrow in question as to why Eren stopped.

It was scary to admit, but lately he had been coming into realization about his sexuality. He had nothing against girls, but something about the male anatomy held his interest more than females. For a while he was thinking he was bisexual. He still found girls attractive, but something about guys…

If he EVER told his father he felt that way, he was sure Dr. Jeager would disown him and throw him out. Grisha made it very clear where he stood on the subject of homosexuality. Eren recalled a time where Grisha had asked him if Armin was gay. It was clear to see that his father disapproved of such, and from that point, Eren knew that he could never tell his father the truth.

Which is why he was frustrated. Unfortunately, the detective had caught Eren looking at him a few times while moving about the house. Eren tried to wear a mask of indifference; he wasn't sure how the hell that went. Levi seemed like a master of indifference, he could tell from spending an hour with the man.

'I wonder how old he is?'

He felt eyes on him, and turned his head to the side to see two orbs of brown staring into his soul.

"I thought you were asleep" Eren stated.

"I was. You were breathing too heavy" Mikasa responded. "What's wrong?"

He wasn't sure what to say, and he didn't want to say that he was affected by his father's absence. Hopefully he could get her to leave him alone if he was inappropriate.

"Do you like boys, Mikasa?" he asked with a straight face.

"Yes" she answered with no hesitation. "Do you?"

Eren was taken aback by her question.

"Do I seem like I do?" he answered her question with his question.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."

He hated how level-headed she was. How could she keep so calm in such an awkward situation?

"What if I did?" he asked smartly.

She seemed to ponder this for a moment, and finally answered him.

"It doesn't matter to me what you like. As long as they treat you well."

She reached out a cold hand to caress Eren's cheek, and he nuzzled against it. Sometimes he was aggravated by her motherly superiority she liked to hold over him, but she would always be like a sister.

"You're not having sex, are you?" she asked.

Yep. An extremely _nosy_ sister.

"Mikasa, no!" he said above a harsh whisper, not wanting to wake Armin. "Why would you ask me that!?"

She shrugged her shoulders underneath the covers and withdrew her hand. "I see the way you look at Jean."

Eren's stomach did a few flips. For the hundredth time in the last 24 hours, he was sure he was going to be sick.

"He's…" he paused "He's cute, okay."

Mikasa started to say something, but Eren beat her to it.

"But he's a total douchebag! Plus, I see the way he looks at Marco. And have you forgotten, my dad would never allow _that._"

A few mumbles and rustles from the other side alerted A and B that a C was now a part of the conversation.

"Mmm" Armin mumbled "Who's a douchebag?"

He hated hospitals.

There were several reasons why, and if anyone asked him to elaborate, he would refuse.

Sure, they served a good purpose, but circumstances in his life caused abhorrence for hospitals. Levi was here for one reason and one reason only.

He needed to talk with the people that Grisha Jeager worked with.

He had woken up at 6 am on a Saturday; that alone was enough to put him in a foul mood. Then he realized that he needed to go to the hospital to talk to fellow employees of Dr. Jeager, and that also pissed him off. It didn't make it any better that he had spent the rest of the few hours of sleep he got last night tossing and turning, but that wasn't an abnormality. Levi learned how to cope with his insomnia for years now. So, straitening his black overcoat and smoothing down his white shirt, he found the elevator to the correct floor and put his mood on the back-burner.

The waiting room for the family members and friends of surgery patients was nearly empty save for a few people. Levi walked straight inside, avoiding questioning gazes, and went straight to the desk.

"Good morning. May I help you, sir?"

Levi was met with downward slanted blue eyes and a blank expression. Nametag: Nanaba.

"I'm Detective Levi with the Stohess police department" he pulled out his badge for conformation, " and I'm here to question fellow employees of Doctor Grisha Jeager. I'd like to start with any personal assistant he has and work my way from there."

Nanaba looked in utter confusion at Levi for a while before saying anything, as if he hadn't just stated what he needed perfectly fucking clear. Erwin always told him he needed to have better patience with people, and he always replied with something consisting of a 'fuck you' and 'that's not my job.'

"Is Dr. Jeager alright?" Nanaba asked quietly, trying not to gain the attention of visitors. Levi mentally sighed and went in for the kill.

"Last night Dr. Jeager was kidnapped by three men, and we're trying to figure out who and why. It would be best to talk to employees that see Jeager often if anything seemed suspicious or out of the way with his behavior. If you have noticed anything, it would be wise to tell me. It could help us eventually find him."

He stated so as bluntly as possible, not caring for the semi-horrified expression on the woman's face.

"Follow me" she stated while standing up to move from behind the desk. Levi did as asked and followed the woman out of the waiting room to the surgical unit.

"Dr. Jeager is the CEO of the surgical unit here at Trost hospital. He prides himself in his work, and would never do anything harmful to anyone."

If Levi had a dollar for every time he's heard 'he/she would never…', he was sure he'd have enough money to finally buy the black Lamborghini he's always secretly wanted.

"You haven't noticed anything off-putting about his behavior, ma'am?" Levi asked, still following with quiet footsteps.

"Not at all" Nanaba answered immediately, her voice slightly inflecting.

When they reached the break room of the surgical unit, Levi saw that it was currently unoccupied. It was a room with an oval shaped table with sleek chairs to go with it, a refrigerator, and projector.

"You may wait here, Detective Levi" Nanaba broke him out of his observations of the room. "I'll go get the others as soon as possible."

He was going to question just who might these 'others' be, but he decided to wait. Once Nanaba exited the room, he calmly walked around the table, continuing observations. It was a normal staff room; a place where doctors and surgeons pondered over the lives of people they didn't know.

He finally took a seat, and mentally reviewed what he had so far. Nanaba, the desk worker for the Trost hospital surgical unit, hadn't noticed anything strange about Jeager, or so she claimed. Eren Jeager, however, said that Grisha claimed he was going to the hospital yesterday to 'take care of something' but instead he came home smelling like grass. That would be where he'd start. Just where was Grisha Jeager yesterday?

A small line of employees streamed into the deadly quiet room, and Levi stood up to acknowledge them. Two men and one woman, along with the company of Nanaba. All of them looked at Levi expectantly; expecting what, he didn't know.

"You might as well have a seat" he began. "I won't hold you long."

And so it commenced. Levi was sure that he could gain something, _anything_, an inkling of a clue out of these people. And he received _none_. It turns out that Jeager's co-workers know as much about him as anyone would. He's the CEO, surgeon, single father. That was it. They couldn't tell him of any hobbies or friends that he had. For all Levi could discern, Grisha was a workaholic with no life.

The first to speak was the second man that walked in. Dita Ness. 30 year old surgeon's assistant to Grisha. Dita had only been working at Trost for two years, and one might think that would be long enough to get to know someone, yet Dita didn't know much at all. The only thing personal he could add was that Grisha would always render a small smile of victory at the end of every successful surgery, or when he spoke of his son.

The first man that walked in was the second to speak. Eld Jinn. 33 year old surgeon's assistant to another surgeon by the name of Hange Zoe, who was not at work today. Dr. Zoe was head of the neurology branch at Trost hospital. She worked right alongside Grisha sometimes; if there was anyone that Levi needed to talk to, it was her. Eld knew nothing either, and only seconded what Dita Ness said earlier.

The last to speak was the last to walk in. 28 year old Ilse Langar. She had only recently started working at Trost hospital two months ago, and studied under the tutelage of Grisha Jeager. She was more dismal with her speech, as if the kidnapping of Grisha hit her personally. Levi took note of this and sent it to the back of his mind. Ilse knew nothing either, and only agreed with what the men said earlier.

And of course, no one fucking saw him yesterday.

Levi dismissed himself, with only a 'thank you for your time' as he left. He wasn't going to bullshit them with words of comfort and promise. There was no telling where Grisha was, or what condition he was in. If the three unknown kidnappers were willing to knock out a boy, then there was also no telling what would happen to Grisha; the blood in the front hallway of their home confirmed that.

When he reached the outdoors, he was glad that the smell of sterility was no longer burning his nose, and he walked purposely to his car. He needed to report his information, or lack there-of, to Erwin, and knowing the blonde bastard, he'd be at headquarters on a Saturday morning.

When he got there amidst the annoying morning traffic of the city, he wasn't surprised to see his co-worker, Petra Ral, there either.

"Good morning, Levi" she said calmly with happiness laced in her voice. Levi wasn't an idiot; he knew what Petra thought of him. Whether they would go from there was answered with a 'no' on his part. She hadn't tried to approach him on that subject yet, but he felt it was coming. At last year's Christmas party at HQ, she drank a little too much and confidently confessed how handsome she thought Levi was in front of everyone. Everyone let out a simultaneous chorus of 'ooooohs' and Erwin just laughed behind his glass of whiskey. It was exact reasons like that that Levi hated work parties. Yet, he always found himself at one.

"What's good about it?" he asked flatly as he passed her in pursuit of Erwin's office. He'd have to take the elevator to the top floor, something he got tired of doing every time he needed to see him.

"Well, you're alive and well" Petra answered. Her optimism was oddly comforting somehow. It was a reason he put her on his team. It was annoying sometimes, but he wouldn't expect anything else from her. Yes, he was indeed living and in good health, but alive…he wasn't so sure anymore.

"I suppose that's good enough" he answered while boarding the elevator. As he turned around, he saw her standing a few feet away with an impish grin on her face, as if she was waiting for something; daintily in her work pants and white button up shirt with kitten heels.

"Good morning, Petra" Levi said with a slight tug at the corner of his lips right before the elevator doors closed. He heard a muffled laugh through the doors, and silently thanked her for her positive attitude.

The short ride to Erwin's was accompanied with silence and the soft ding of Levi's arrival to the third floor. When the doors opened, Levi walked down the dimly lit hallway to his boss' and best friend's office. The door was ajar, and Levi could make out the sound of Erwin talking to someone.

"No, this isn't anything to play with" Erwin bit into the receiver. Levi noted how aggravated the man sounded, and thought of ways to aggravate him even more. Then he heard it.

"You know where they took Jeager, the only issue is finding him. If there's anyone that's going to know, it's _him_."

Levi paused outside Erwin's door, head cocking to the side in curiosity.

"Yes" Erwin answered with slight relief in his voice. "Yes" he said again. "That's fine. Just be careful."

A hard click signaled the end of Erwin's conversation, and Levi debated how long he should wait before walking in his office. What the hell did Erwin know about Jeager that he wasn't telling? He inhaled quietly and budged in Erwin's office with a single swing of the door.

"Good morning, Levi" Erwin greeted in his normal nonchalant tone, shuffling through papers. Levi sat in the chair in front of Erwin's desk and raised his feet to rest on the man's workspace, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's good about it?" Levi asked just as nonchalant. Erwin raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow and contemplated for a moment.

"Well, let's see. We could be dead" Erwin said with humor in his voice, only Levi wasn't finding anything funny. He decided to take the conversation in a different route.

"I went to the hospital this morning to talk with some co-workers of Jeager. None of them knew anything that would prove substantial to our investigation. There is a woman by the name of Doctor Hange Zoe that I need to speak with. She was the one that spent the most time around Grisha seeing that she was the head of the neurology surgical department, and Jeager is the CEO."

Levi took perfect note of how Erwin stopped fidgeting with his papers for just a second as Levi said the name 'Doctor Hange Zoe', but he resumed just a moment afterwards and played everything off. Typical Erwin.

"Well, I suppose you should find out when she'll be available and question her as well. Someone has to know something, or we're on a dead trail."

Levi wanted, for the hundredth time since he met him, to punch Erwin square in his nose. Considering the conversation Levi just overheard, or eavesdropped on, whatever you wanted to call it, Erwin was that 'someone' that 'has to know something.' He wanted to call him out on him keeping secrets, because the two of them never kept secrets. Granted, everything Erwin did he didn't tell Levi, and vice versa, but when it came down to business, there was nothing left in the dark.

So, why would Erwin purposely avoid telling Levi any information he knew about Grisha Jeager, especially since he was personally assigned the case?

He decided to trust Erwin Smith, as he had learned to. He was always one step ahead; always up to something. But he proved himself to be trustworthy, so Levi could only hope that letting this go was a wise decision.

"I'll get right on that" Levi said finally and abruptly stood from the chair to make an exit. Erwin only muttered something that sounding like 'you do that' as he left.

"Good morning, Erwin" Levi called out as he left the office, with a smirking commander behind.

As he took the elevator ride back down, he supposed he should contact the Jeager brat. He didn't know why he started calling him that; the name just seemed to fit. He didn't have any particular reason to; it wasn't as if he learned anything new, and moral support wasn't his specialty, so why call?

As he left, he nodded in acknowledgement to a flirtatious Auruo unsuccessfully 'wooing' Petra, as he tried to every morning he came in. Petra would be better off giving him a chance instead of chasing something that she would never catch. Gunther was a few feet away at his desk, shaking his head at his co-worker's antics. As he exited the sliding doors, he heard an audible 'ow' from Auruo, and laughs from Gunther as Petra said she'd get ice for his tongue. Levi smiled a small one at that.

He wasn't sure what enticed him to do it, but he decided that he wasn't going back to the hospital straight away. Levi hit the interstate in attempts to reach the pair of green-blue orbs that he thought of before he went to sleep the night before.


	3. Chapter 3

3

"Holy shit, Eren, block me one more time and I'll kill you!"

"You can't kill anyone on Mario Kart, Jean" Sasha stated, being careful not to take her eyes off the screen in fears that Connie would block her as well.

"He's just mad he sucks" Reiner added on from a corner, patiently waiting for their race to be over.

"Who the fuck picked the Special Cup?" Jean yelled. He was in sixth place, thanks to Eren continuously screwing with him. He was hoping they would do the Banana Cup; he always did well on that one. But no, they had to do the Special Cup, which consisted of the dreaded Rainbow Road. No matter what console, Rainbow Road sucked.

"I did" Connie answered from his spot on the floor in front of the TV.

"That's why you're in eighth place, Connie" Eren laughed from his spot on the couch, next to a fuming Jean. It was Saturday, and his entire group of friends pretty much knew what happened, because Armin told them all. He didn't do it to be rude, but he felt that Eren needed a large support system. Therefore, everyone was at Armin's house playing Mario Kart with several snacks littering the living room, and throwing several curses to the air. Thankfully, grandfather Arlert was upstairs taking a nap, so he couldn't hear their foul language.

Of course, Eren was assaulted with question after question. It's not every day that one of your best friends gets taken out by kidnappers, nor do they get their father kidnapped. After Connie went too far by asking if Eren thought Grisha was alive or not, Armin nervously interrupted and insisted they start playing games. This incidentally led to hostility between Eren and Jean, which was nothing new.

Although that ball of worry was still in the pit of his stomach, Eren forced himself to at least try to enjoy company. He hadn't really wanted any company, but the more time he spent around his friends, the gladder he became. They had all been friends for years, and hopefully that would never change, no matter what direction their lives went in. Eren still wasn't sure what he wanted to do as a career. He always thought about the educational system, but never knew what grade or subject he'd like to teach. Grisha stated the importance of the medical field over and over again, but following in his father's footsteps was not something Eren wanted. He'd seen how demanding being a doctor could be, especially a surgeon, and he didn't want that for his life.

Speaking of life, Eren was about to lose his because he made Jean fall back to 10th place by the end of the race. Eren didn't even care about winning, he just liked getting Jean worked up.

"God damnit, Eren!" Jean stated. Everyone else laughed while Mikasa and Marco only shook their heads.

"What are you gonna' do about it, Sea biscuit?" Eren taunted. Said Sea biscuit pounced on Eren on the couch, and began shoving him around a bit. Everyone continued to laugh, Connie being the loudest; not caring that he came in last place. Sasha was elated, because she had somehow pulled first place on Rainbow Road, and she was graced with a hilarious fight scene from Jean and Eren. Reiner pulled Jean off Eren, nothing new for him, and moved them both off the couch so he, Bert, Annie, and Ymir could play. Annie sat on Bert's lap so that everyone else could have space.

Jean continued to toss insults across the room from his spot by Marco. Marco, used to Jean's aggressive behavior, put an arm around him and told him to calm down. This wasn't an action unnoticed by Eren, who felt his cheeks burn hotter with mild jealously instead of anger. He went into the kitchen to grab his bottle of water, and forced those thoughts out of his head. He had always had a thing for Jean, despite the guy's attitude, but everyone knew Jean had a thing for Marco. That still didn't dissuade Eren from riling him up any opportunity he could get. The only time Jean really engaged in conversation with Eren was when they were arguing. He would take what he could.

He heard the doorbell ring, and knew that nobody else was going to answer it because they couldn't hear it from all the nonsense going on the living room. Eren put his water down and walked to the front door. When he looked through the eyehole, he was surprised by the visitor, and unconsciously ran his fingers through his hair in order to fix anything off about it from his fight with Jean. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Detective Levi" Eren stated calmly, hoping that the stoic man had some good news.

"Jaeger" Levi responded curtly. "I visited your father's job today."

"Does anyone know anything? What did you find out?" Eren immediately prodded, his blue-green orbs widening in anticipation. Levi gestured they step inside so they could talk, until he heard it.

"Fuck, Ymir!"

"You mad, Braun?"

"I almost had first place!"

Levi cocked his eyebrow and looked at Eren, whose face was reddening with embarrassment.

"Friends and Mario Kart rarely mix" Levi stated, and gestured Eren follow him outside. Eren looked back, wondering if he should run and tell Armin where he was, but he changed his mind. He didn't need to tell them every single thing he did. Closing the door behind him, Eren stepped out into the warm afternoon sun, wondering why he hadn't bothered to go outside on such a nice day.

"How do you know that?" Eren asked, looking at Levi's back. He hoped that didn't sound like he didn't believe the man had friends. Levi turned around and looked at him, and for some reason, Eren's heart sped up. The man was striking, more than the last time. Maybe because Eren had been too upset to notice just how good Levi looked.

"I just do" Levi answered. "Now about your father, no one at the hospital that even gets remotely close to Dr. Jaeger has any idea where he is. You said that he informed you that he was going to the hospital yesterday, but came back smelling of grass. No one saw him at the hospital either."

Levi ended his speech, and studied the boy in front of him. There were bags under his eyes, more than likely from not sleeping. His hair was tousled, and he was biting his lip in frustration. Eren raised his eyes to look at Levi's, and once again, Levi was impressed by how steady his gaze held his, considering not many people made eye contact with him at all.

"What do we do?" Eren asked.

Levi quickly thought back to the conversation he overheard Erwin having, and he made it seem like Grisha wasn't dead. He wasn't going to tell Eren that though, because he didn't want to get the boy's hopes up when there was no telling what could happen in the next 24 hours.

"Are you familiar with a Doctor Hange Zoe?" Levi asked, ignoring Eren's previous question. Eren shook his head indicating that he did not, and Levi mentally sighed.

"Who is she?"

"She works closely with your father. She wasn't at work when I went to the hospital."

"This is ridiculous!" Eren suddenly bit out. "Someone has to know something!"

Levi's caught just how much Eren sounded like Erwin, and stepped a little bit closer. "I'm working on it, Jeager. This is going to take time."

"We don't have time!" Eren yelled, not startling Levi one bit. "There's no telling where he is, or what's happening to him, or why…"

"Exactly why I said this is going to take time" Levi interrupted. "What have I told you about raising your voice?"

"Who gives a shit?" Eren asked, stepping even closer, closing the gap. "I have a right to raise my voice. Especially at power tripping detectives who don't give a shit about anybody else's problems!"

Before he could register it, Levi grabbed Eren's shirt collar and brought him even closer. It was then that Eren really noticed the height difference between the two. Levi, despite being the shorter, was more intimidating, especially when he had Eren's shirt in a death grip.

"Listen here you little shit. You should really try not to insult the people that are trying to help you. I can always pass this case up for another one, and then you'd have no one to help you. The real world doesn't give a shit about your problems, so get used to them being ignored. I'm one of the few that are actually trying, so calm the fuck down before I make you."

Levi let go of Eren's shirt as fast as he had gripped it, causing Eren to lose his footing and stumble back a bit. His eyes were just as cool as his tone was, and once again, Eren deduced that he did not like this man. He stood straight, not caring about straightening out his shirt, but Levi was already walking away to his car.

"Hey!" Eren shouted. "I'm not done."

"I am" Levi tossed over his shoulder, rounding the front of his car. Eren watched as he peeled away, and wondered why he had to be so impulsive. He spoke before he thought, and that normally got him into trouble.

'_I'm one of the few people that are actually trying…'_

Eren wasn't sure how many people were involved for finding his father, but he guessed it wasn't many, considering what Levi said. He sighed and went back inside, only to be greeted by a frantic Armin in the hallway.

"Eren, where did you go? I was looking all over for you."

"Detective Levi stopped by" he answered absentmindedly.

"Oh!" Armin perked up. "Are there any leads?"

Eren relayed what happened, not including the small spat the two got in, and next thing he knew, Armin was hugging him.

"I'm sorry, Eren."

He knew he was referring to the fact that there were indeed no leads, and Grisha was really kidnapped without a trace. Eren willed himself to remain strong; he would cry later. Heading back into the living room, he saw Marco, Mikasa, and Christa ready to play, waiting on Armin.

"I found him" Armin answered. Nobody asked where he had gone because of the dismal look on his face. Mikasa's eyes stayed trained on his face as he sat down by himself until the starting whistle for the race sounded.

888

He hadn't meant to snap, but he did.

He was a firm believer in not letting anyone control his emotions.

But that damn Jaeger brat…

Working with him was proving to be an issue; that much was clear. Levi tried to take into account that Eren hadn't gotten any sleep, but the irritated part of him didn't care. This is exactly why he hated when Erwin would give him cases that involved interacting with people. Questioning, investigating, fighting; he was proficient in those things. Social skills and sympathy, not so much.

He was finding the rout back to the hospital, much to his dismay. He needed to talk to that assistant of Dr. Zoe again and ask him for her contact options. Levi played out the scenarios; something he always did. If Dr. Zoe had no idea what happened to Dr. Jaeger, then who did? That left Erwin, whom he would be talking to later. Forget the possible breach of trust of listening in on his superior's conversation; he needed answers. It's not as if Levi had a personal reason to find Dr. Jaeger, but he wouldn't lie; this was the most intriguing case he's had in a while.

Most of his cases centered around murders, so there was no saving that had to be done. Which worked out perfectly for him; saving wasn't his forte. Missing people cases, however, were races against time. It was a challenge for everyone, trying to work against the clock. TV liked to sanitize it, but the majority of those cases end up taking months, years maybe, and end with a dead body.

Levi thought about what would happen to Eren if his father was indeed dead. The Arlert's would most likely take him in, but emotionally…the kid would be a wreck. He could tell from just spending a small amount of time with the boy that he was hot headed, impulsive, and had a temper problem. He scowled; there was a time he used to be like that.

When he arrived at the hospital again, he found the same parking space he had earlier, and went inside, taking the same rout he did the last time. Reaching the surgical waiting room, Levi saw the desk worker, Nanaba, at her post of duty. Her eyes shifted and lit up when she saw him walking towards her. Levi hoped she didn't think he had good news.

"Any news?" she asked, hopefully.

_Shit._

"No ma'am. I need to speak with Eld Jinn" Levi documented the name "about Dr. Zoe. If she works closely with Dr. Jaeger, then perhaps she noticed something off in Dr. Jaeger's behavior."

Nanaba nodded her head quickly, as if she totally understood what Levi was saying. She told Levi to wait in the room while she went to find Eld. Levi watched her leave, and took in his surroundings. There was currently no one else in the room, so Levi peered over Nanaba's desk, just for safe measure, and observed. All he saw were notes and dates and appointments and other medical booking stuff he didn't understand. Nothing useful to his cause.

'_Especially at power tripping detectives who don't give a shit about anybody else's problems!'_

Levi sighed out loud, feeling a head ache come on. He hadn't slept well last night either. He was sure it was because he was suddenly thrust into a new case, the severity of the new case, or whatever kind of crap kept people up at night. He hoped Dr. Zoe knew something; he wanted to get this over with.

Just as soon as it was thought, Eld walked in, belongings in hand, behind Nanaba. Levi assumed the man was getting ready to leave work.

"Detective Levi" the man spoke up, offering a hand. Levi didn't accept it, and nodded in recognition. Eld gulped, lowering his hand, and spoke again.

"I'm not permitted to give out personal information of Dr. Zoe, like her address, but I can give you her email" Eld offered.

"How often does she use her email?" Levi asked flatly. He could always request for a demand document for Dr. Zoe's personal information, but he'd rather not do that.

"I-I'm not sure" Eld stuttered. "But this is it." He handed him a ripped off piece of paper, and Levi examined it carefully. It was a standard worker's email, and he assumed Dr. Zoe would check it often if it related to work. Then again, he didn't know the woman at all.

"Do you know when Dr. Zoe will be at work again?" Levi asked curtly, slipping the paper in his pocket.

"I don't know, sir. Sometimes she does that. She'll show up at work for a while, and then take several days off. She may be a doctor, but her main field is research, and that causes her to miss days of work. Either way, she worked with Dr. Jaeger the most."

Levi nodded his head, absorbing what he was told, and bid farewell to Nanaba and Eld as he left. That was a start. He didn't know many workplaces that would let their workers take indefinite amount of days off. Once again, he did not know the woman. He didn't ask what research she was into, but he would do some research of his own once he made it home. There was sure to be some information on the internet about Dr. Zoe, and even Dr. Jaeger, that might help his cause.

He hoped so, because Eren reminded him, time was not on his side.

888

"Thank you, Grandpa Arlert!" a crowd of voices simultaneously said. Grandpa only smiled and said he'd leave the energetic and hungry teens alone to eat. He ordered pizza; an abundant amount too. They were all crowded in the Arlert's dining room. It wasn't anything special, like Eren's house. The long table did provide enough space for everyone to eat, however, and that was more than enough. The table was littered in pizza boxes, each missing a slice or three. Eren laughed at Armin's dreaded expression as Sasha grabbed slice after slice from different boxes.

"Damn, Sasha" Ymir interrupted, pizza in her mouth. Krista only laughed while she sat in her girlfriend's lap, taking mouse bites of her own food.

"What?" Sasha asked "I can eat, okay."

"We know" Connie added, annoyance in his voice. Everyone else laughed, knowing that the two were on the verge of a get together soon. They had been crushing on each other for a long time anyway, and they spent a lot of time together outside their regular group of friends. Mikasa continued to bring in cup after cup of soda for everyone, and more insults were passed around.

Eren felt a small smile creep on his face. It felt good to be surrounded by the people he cared about. He appreciated his friends more than he could ever express, but he would try anyway.

"Hey guys!" Eren interrupted, loud enough so everyone could hear. Once it was quiet, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I just want to say thank you. I really mean it. This whole ordeal...well…it doesn't make any sense. I don't know where my dad is or what happened to him" he paused for a moment while his throat tightened. "But this makes sense. Being with you guys makes sense."

Eren was sure that his speech, in fact, did not make sense, and he lowered his eyes to his plate awkwardly waiting for someone to say something. He missed everyone's eyes meeting each other's across the dining room, and Eren jolted at the sudden chorus of 'aww!' in the room.

"We're always here for you, Eren" Marco said, looking at him with a kind expression. His tender words made Eren want to cry, and he was sure if he did, Reiner would make fun of him for it. Then he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"You're here for all of us, Jaeger" Reiner stated. "Of course it makes sense that we're here for you."

Eren smiled, remembering how encouraging Reiner could be sometimes, despite his athleticism and build, he was a big softie. Mikasa walked over and finally took her seat next to Eren after serving everyone else, and gave his leg a reassuring squeeze underneath the table. Eren looked over to her and saw her face with a rare smile, small as it may be. He placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed back.

The rowdy behavior resumed, and he wouldn't want it any other way. Somehow, a piece of pizza crust ended up flying across the room and hitting Sasha in her eye.

"Ymir!" Sasha yelled, rubbing her injury.

"That wasn't me" Ymir answered, throwing her hands up in innocence. Everyone looked their way when they saw a giggling Krista in Ymir's lap, with a broken off piece of crust.

"Krista!" everyone yelled in disbelief.

Yep, Eren wished these moments could last forever.

888

"What do you want?" Levi answered his phone with annoyance dripping loosely in his voice. Erwin's hearty chuckle on the other end only upset him further. He was getting ready to let a line of curses fly when Erwin spoke.

"Meet me for lunch today" he said in a kind tone, but one Levi recognized as an order. "We have some matters to discuss."

"I'm quite sure" Levi responded, sarcasm evident. He was curious as to what Erwin wanted.

"Trost golf club. 12 sharp." And with that, Erwin hung up. Levi fought the urge to slam his phone back down on the kitchen table his face had previously been occupying. Then he looked to the wall and saw the time.

9:30 a.m.

Levi sighed and placed his head in his hands for a moment to give himself time to wake up and think. When he got home yesterday, he spent the rest of his evening and night at his kitchen table, accidentally falling asleep there as well, researching. He found articles about Dr. Jaeger, Dr. Zoe, and some _by_ Dr. Zoe. He did dig up some information that he had not known, but only time would tell if it was meaningful to this case or not.

Dr. Jaeger was born in Hannover, Germany, which explains the last name. He moved to America only a short while after getting his doctoring license from Hannover Medical School. He finished top of his class, and did so with honors. Reasons for his leaving the country were unknown, so Levi continued with the basics. He married Carla a few years after his arrival to America, and she was significantly younger than he was. He continued his career at Trost Hospital and easily earned CEO of the surgical unit. There wasn't much else than that, but Levi did look up the important surgeries Dr. Jaeger performed in the past.

Dr. Zoe, however, was widely known for research. Statistics, diagrams, and all that jazz was her specialty. She earned her place next to Dr. Jaeger only one year upon her arrival at Trost Hospital, which was a big deal. Dr. Zoe is only a few years younger than Dr. Jaeger, and together the two of them have made significant improvements in the surgical unit as well as other units.

Levi dived deeper into Dr. Zoe's research, and found that the anatomy of the human body as well as animals was her favorite field of focus. The woman wrote her dissertation on the importance of fully understanding the make-up of man as well as animals, and possibly being able to merge the two one day.

All of these things Levi replayed in his mind as he thoroughly showered. He brought the wash cloth over this chest absentmindedly and continued to think. He hadn't emailed Dr. Zoe yet; he fell asleep before he got the chance. He did find it odd that a renowned researcher would work alongside a doctor. Maybe he really didn't know as much about the medical field or their occupations as he thought he had, but still. Deciding to forget that for now, he focused on the problem he'd be facing in a few hours. Erwin.

He figured it was best to just admit that he heard the conversation, and not apologize for it either. If Erwin was withholding information from him, which he was, then Levi didn't feel the need to apologize. He was assigned this case, for whatever reason, and he needed to know everything there was to know. He wouldn't even sugar coat it. He'd walk in, sit down, and ask Erwin directly about the conversation. He swore if Erwin tried to do that annoying thing where he successfully doges a question by not answering it, Levi was going to lose his job.

Once he was finally out of the shower, he went to his room and found a pair of sweatpants to wear for the time being. Deciding that an attempt to keep his job would be nice, he made himself a cup of coffee, because he'd really need it. He made sure there was a small amount of sugar, and definitely no creamer. He didn't even buy creamer, actually. Coffee wasn't made to be sweet, in his opinion. Since he had time to kill, cleaning was now on his agenda. He started with the kitchen, making sure everything was where it should be, and washing any dishes. He vacuumed the living room, making sure he did so in straight lines. The bathroom, which he cleaned every other day, never needed much maintenance, but he liked cleaning; it was soothing. He even decided to dust and vacuum the extra room, not that it served any purpose but existing.

He went back to the kitchen table to email Dr. Zoe. He used his work email, because that was the only one he had, and made his message concise and to the point.

_To Dr. Hange Zoe,_

_I am Detective Levi, and I work for the Stohess police department. I am contacting you in reference to the kidnapping of your work partner, Dr. Grisha Jaeger. Dr. Jaeger was suddenly taken from his home Friday night by three unknown men. It has been brought to my attention that you were close with Dr. Jaeger, and perhaps you might know something to help his cause. Time is of the essence. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Levi._

Levi squinted at his computer screen to ensure there weren't any typos. He was sure it wasn't professional to put the 'Sincerely', and she would probably wonder why he only put 'Levi' and not his last name. If she did wonder about that latter, she would continue to do so. Either way, the message was sent. He wouldn't wait around for her to reply either. His phone vibrated with a call again, and he saw that it was Petra Ral.

"What?" he answered.

"Levi" she said, hesitation in her voice. "We need you at 34th Denmer Street, immediately."

Levi stood up quickly, walking briskly to his room to find clothes. "Petra, what happened?"

Petra took a deep breath, careful not to let her boss hear her shaking voice. "There's been a murder, sir."

888

"_Officials say 28 year old Ilse Langar was murdered with one clean shot to the head. Langar worked in the surgical department of the renowned Trost Hospital. She had only been there two months. So far the police have no leads as to who did it or why. We are wondering if this has any connection to the sudden kidnapping of Trost Hospital's CEO, Dr. Grisha Jaeger. Jaeger was taken from his home by three men in masks. His only son, Eren Jaeger, seventeen year old student, was unfortunately knocked unconscious during the ordeal. The Stohess Department is currently on the case, and it seems too close to be a coincidence. Officials don't even know if Grisha Jaeger is…"_

Eren turned the TV off, bile rising in his throat. He got up quickly, and ran to the nearest bathroom which was on the first floor. He rid himself of the delicious breakfast grandfather so kindly made them. He heard footsteps behind him the entire time, and felt Mikasa's hand on his back. Armin and grandpa soon followed, worry written on their faces. Armin ran one washcloth under cold water, and another under warm water. The latter was used to wipe his face, and the former was placed on his head as they lead him upstairs to Armin's room.

"Lie down" grandpa said calmly.

Eren did as he was told, feeling too dizzy and upset to do anything else anyway. Mikasa and Armin sat on either side of him on the bed while grandpa went downstairs to get medicine. Mikasa rubbed Eren's arm while Armin placed a shaky hand on his shoulder. His friends were worried for him.

"He can't be dead" Eren choked out, still feeling nauseous. Mikasa placed a finger on his lips in attempts to quiet him down. Getting worked up would only upset his stomach further. Grandpa came back upstairs with a cup of medicine for Eren's stomach, a bucket for his stomach, a glass of water, and the house phone tucked between his shoulder and ear.

"Yes" he stated. "Yes sir. Thank you. Alright, goodbye."

Brown, green, and blue eyes looked up at him expectantly, and grandpa cleared his throat to speak.

"That was Commander Erwin Smith" he began, setting the bucket down. "He said he and Detective Levi will be by later. He didn't really specify a reason."

Eren felt his throat began to hurt, and he knew it was because he was holding in tears. Honestly, the last person he wanted to see was Levi. He really wasn't in the mood, nor did he have the patience, for the man's attitude. Today was a bad day.

"Eren, this doesn't mean anything about Grisha's condition" grandpa tried to reassure, handing Armin the water. "If anything, this might lead them closer to finding him..."

"Please" Eren interrupted. "Just…please" he begged, his voice weak, but the distress was clear enough. Grandpa nodded and motioned for him to sit up to swallow the bitter medicine. "It'll settle your stomach" he said. Armin gave him the water soon after that, and Eren found even that hard to swallow. His throat was still tight, and his head hurt; the effort to refrain from crying was wearing on him.

"Take a nap" grandpa said, not to be argued with. "I feel like you'll need the energy."

He looked at Armin and Mikasa, silently commanding them to let Eren rest. Mikasa stared back at him, wanting to argue with him. Armin recognized that look all too well. She didn't want to leave Eren's side, but grandpa wasn't having that.

"I'll be fine, Mikasa" Eren stated, voice stronger than before. He noticed the distress, and decided to speak. "I'm not going anywhere."

Mikasa looked down at him with sad brown eyes, and nodded. Armin pat Eren's leg on the way out, and soon he was left all alone, in the quiet, where no one could see him.

Eren brought an arm up to muffle his mouth as he cried. Hot tears spilled onto Armin's pillows, and sounds threatened to leave his throat. He wasn't going to start sobbing in fear that someone might hear and come back in. He silently cried, only occasionally inhaling. Things were making a turn for the worst. A lady that worked in the same unit as his father had been killed; of course they were connected. If they could kill her, what would stop them from killing his father? What stopped them from killing him? Who was doing the killing?

Soon he stopped crying and let his mind race, eyes wide open. He replayed Friday night's events over and over again, and there was nothing new that could help now. He didn't see any faces, all he remembered was Grisha looking at him with pleading, angry eyes; which Eren had no idea why. He was trying to save him, why would he look at him like that? Did he believe that he was too weak to help him?

He begged himself not to think of this, and felt drowsiness seeping in. He decided to let sleep find him, because grandpa was right. With Commander Smith, and especially Detective Levi stopping by, he would surely need the energy.

888

"Are you fucking serious?"

"I'm hungry. I'm sure you are too. Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

"I had coffee."

"That's not breakfast, Levi."

"It's enough for me."

"Well, don't cancel our date."

"I hate you."

"But you're following me."

To that, Levi didn't have an appropriate response. He hung up on Erwin and pressed down on his horn, if only to express his irritation. Erwin honked back, two short sounds, which annoyed the shit out of Levi because it sounded peppy and he hated it. He rode on Erwin's ass, hoping to annoy the man as well, but Erwin continued to drive the speed limit, obviously not in a hurry. Levi ground his teeth and backed off, and only then did Erwin speed up.

"I fucking swear…" he broke off, because he was only making threats to the wind.

It was natural he was in a bad mood. That was natural for him every day, but today he actually had an excuse. After all, dead bodies didn't exactly bring rays of sunshine.

Ilse Langar, the young lady under the tutelage of Dr. Jaeger, had been murdered. Levi replayed the scene. Her apartment door did have signs of forced entry, but there was nothing in the apartment that indicated a fight or a struggle. Whoever shot her did it quickly, and left. Petra volunteered to stay and look at the surveillance videos in the apartment complex elevator to see if there was anything they could use to find who did it. It wasn't everyday that Levi looked at dead bodies, and this certainly wouldn't be the last. He was already accustomed to such things before he even joined law enforcement.

Erwin showed up too, but only at the tail end of it. He spoke to policemen, and the lady who lived across the hall from Langar. She said she heard a loud shot, and that was it. Any neighbor would want to ignore the antics of their other neighbors, but she said this time felt different.

The media said they weren't sure if they cases were connected. Of course they were connected. A kidnapping and a murder all in the same weekend; anyone could tell these cases went hand in hand. Levi hoped that no one else at the hospital would be targeted because of this. He wasn't sure what was happening, or why. He knew that it had to be someone affiliated with the Jaeger case. All these things he had swimming through his head, and Erwin _still_ wanted to have lunch. Levi couldn't work up an appetite if he tried.

Specifically, he wanted to go to Trost golf club; excuse: 'They have really good burgers."

Levi followed anyway, because lunch would be a perfect time to question Erwin on his conversation yesterday. He hoped he'd choke on that _really good_ burger in surprise as Levi asked him why he was withholding information. He quickly took that back, because Erwin couldn't answer the question if he was dead.

He took in his surroundings. Big buildings, clean streets, not a homeless person in sight. This was definitely the Trost area. He noticed the lush greenery on either side of the road he traveled on, and rolled down his window. The air was exactly as he hoped, clean and full of plant life. It reminded him of home. His life before the underground.

Realizing that now wasn't the time nor place to be thinking of such things, he noticed the rolling hills of the gold club came into view, and he parked next to Erwin once they arrived at the club house.

"These burgers better be fucking perfect" Levi threatened and Erwin laughed heartily. They walked up the marble steps leading to the see through doorway. A wave of cool air met them as Erwin opened the heavy wooden doors, and so did the monotone voice of a waitress.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to Trost Golf Club."

Levi was met with piercing blue eyes belonging to a blonde haired girl with a striking face. She wasn't quite beautiful, but certainly striking. He read her name tag.

'_Annie'_

"Table for two" Erwin requested. "Preferably in the back" he added on. Annie nodded her head and led the way. Levi walked down isles of brown marble flooring that contrasted well with the wood of the building. They were indeed led to a table for two in the back by a window that overlooked the green hills of the golf course.

"What can I start you with?" she asked flatly.

"Whiskey for the both of us. We've already decided that we want the special house burgers, too."

Annie nodded and left, and Levi crossed his arms over his chest, staring Erwin down from across table, who was doing something on his phone. Finally, he looked up at Levi and smiled, putting his phone in his pocket.

"The media are vultures" he stated. "They're calling left and right for information. Petra doesn't know what to tell them."

"Don't tell them anything" Levi answered, as if it was obvious as day.

"That's what I told her, but she said they were still hounding."

"That's what hounds do" Levi added on, looking out the window.

"Precisely" Erwin agreed.

Annie quickly came back with small glasses of whiskey on a tray, and a bottle in the other.

"How old are you?" Erwin asked her, causing Levi to look at him like he was a pervert, but then he realized what Erwin was doing.

"Eighteen" Annie responded, not breaking his gaze as she set the items down on the table. "Old enough to serve alcohol."

Erwin chuckled lowly, impressed with her perceptiveness. "Very well then."

With that, Annie dismissed herself again, and Levi took his glass and knocked half of it back.

"Stressful day?" Erwin inquired over his glass.

"Fuck you" Levi answered, finishing the rest off and pouring himself more. Erwin laughed again, and Levi calmly flicked him off. Erwin placed a hand to his chest and feigned hurt, and Levi smirked, just a little.

"Who were you talking to on the phone yesterday about Grisha Jaeger?" Levi asked quickly. Erwin choked on his drink a little bit, and set his glass down, clearing his throat. Levi crossed one leg over the other, and leaned an arm on his chair, glass in the other hand. He caught him off guard.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up" Erwin said, placing both elbows on the table and his fists under his chin, a gesture he did when he was getting serious. Levi's smirk morphed to a frown.

"What are you…"

"My office is the only one on the third floor. I heard the elevator ping when you came up, I hear it every time, Levi. I was wondering when you were going to ask me about it." Erwin spoke his words without ceasing, and Levi let it all sink it. He took another sip of his drink, and responded.

"Why didn't you just tell me then?"

"I'm telling you now. It's actually why I invited you out to lunch today."

"And here I was thinking you wanted to spend time with me" Levi deadpanned. Erwin grinned and answered.

"As much as you mean to me, Levi, you're not always the most pleasant company to keep."

Levi nodded his head, agreeing with Erwin on that one, and set his glass down, signaling he was ready for an explanation. Erwin took a deep breath, and began.

"I'm sure you've picked up on it by now, this isn't your average case."

"Not at all" Levi agreed.

"This is all a part of an investigation that has been underway for decades."

Levi cocked an eyebrow, curiosity fully engaged, and assumed a position mirroring Erwin's to listen more intently.

"Are you aware that Grisha Jaeger attended Hannover Medical School to receive his doctorate degree?" Erwin asked. Levi nodded, answering yes.

"It is quite a nice school. Had I remained in Germany, I might have taken the medical career into consideration just so I could attend Hannover. Anyway, Hannover and its neighboring cities have been experiencing mass kidnappings dating back to the time Grisha was getting ready to graduate. Investigators couldn't make any leads, and there weren't any patterns to follow. For decades, investigators have been baffled over the growing number of missing people from the city. When Grisha Jaeger graduated and left the country, the number of missing persons had peaked, and for a while, stopped."

Levi nodded again. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Now, I'm aware that you have been attempting to contact a Dr. Hange Zoe, am I correct?"

Levi nodded and spoke. "I emailed her this morning stating how important it is that I talk to her; see if she has any knowledge on Grisha's behavior leading up to Friday."

Erwin made a hum of approval, blue eyes never leaving Levi's steel ones. "And did she respond?"

"I wouldn't know" Levi answered quickly. "I was called in for the Langar case as soon as I hit the send button."

Erwin hummed again, deciding then was a good time to take a sip of whiskey. Levi did the same in hopes to loosen up his throat.

"She's not going to reply" Erwin stated, placing his glass back on the table. Levi sighed, expressing his annoyance. Erwin grinned and continued to explain.

"Like I said, this is all a part of an investigation that has been going on for years, and Dr. Zoe is a part of that investigation. She has been on the tail of a man named Dot Pixis, professor of Hannover Medical School for quite a long time, including when Grisha was in school. Her specialty is anatomy, and what mankind could do if we combined human anatomy and animal anatomy."

"I know" Levi stated. "I read her dissertation."

"Good" Erwin expressed his approval. "Dr. Zoe didn't attend school in Germany, but she did receive the grand opportunity to meet Professor Pixis, considering that his specialty is the same thing hers is. She stalked the man for years, obsessed with his work. When she finally met him, years after Grisha had already left Germany, she said she was marveled by how much they had in common. His knowledge on human anatomy wasn't shocking considering he's a medical professor, but his knowledge on the possibilities of combining human and animal DNA surprised her. He said he would love to do experiments of such, but it would obviously never be approved."

Levi nodded again, starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"The kidnappings in Hannover had already been going on before Hange met Pixis, but halted after Grisha left. Now, years and years later, they have resumed. Dr. Jaeger is missing. Zoe should be on her way to Hannover now. That's who I was talking to yesterday."

"Are you saying Jaeger is involved with the kidnappings?" Levi asked, not happy with the story.

"We don't know" Erwin answered.

"Who is we?" Levi asked.

"We is referring to the undercover group of law enforcement that I've never told you about" Erwin stated, as if he hadn't just dropped a huge bomb on Levi. Levi's scowl deepened, and Erwin grinned.

"I'm a part of a secret overseas organization called the Geheimnis."

"Geheimnis?" Levi repeated.

"It's German for secret. I know; how original" Erwin stated. "It is a branch of law enforcement that does the background work. We get our hands into the nitty gritty aspect of things to get the job done."

"Background work" laughed out bitterly. "Sounds like grounds for illegal to me."

"You would know" Erwin retorted quickly. He noticed Levi's jaw set, and he knew that he had gotten under his skin.

"And we need your help" he added on.

"Oh, for fucks sake…"

"You have combat skill; something that we're lacking, and we desperately need."

"I suppose you want me to join this Geheimnis cult and exercise my combat skills. I know what I used to do, but that's behind me now. I'm sure you wouldn't mind using me though, if it's all in the name of justice" he responded, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

Erwin's face was no longer kind. His scowl had set in too, and it was a scowl Levi had only seen a handful of times. This was Commander Smith, not Erwin, not Mr. Smith, and not his best friend. Despite his friendly attitude, he was commander for a reason.

"You don't miss it?" Erwin asked sweetly, clearly trying to get a rise out of Levi. "The gun shots, running around in the dark, the _freedom_…"

Levi slammed a hand down on the table, demanding that Erwin shut up. Erwin leaned back in his seat, and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting on Levi to speak.

"You know damn well I don't miss it" Levi hissed. "Why would I miss something that nearly got me killed?"

"The thrill?" Erwin asked. "I don't know why you did what you did, and I never asked you. I only know what you've told me. It didn't matter to me, your reasons. What mattered to me was that you could change; use those skills for something else."

"And I have!" Levi raised his voice. "I have. I've joined your little investigator's department and used my skills to solve cases, not a fucking problem. But you're asking me to go back to picking up guns and actually _shooting_ them. That's a fucking problem, Erwin."

"People will die" Erwin added, ignoring Levi's spat. "As you've seen today, whoever is behind this is ruthless. It's all tying together now, and we have people working on this case. We're so close to the end, and this _is_ going to boil down to a standoff. I don't know another man capable of doing it _and_ succeeding than you, Levi."

Levi dropped his scowl and let his stoic mask return. The two sat in silence for minutes, neither one wanting to speak. Erwin was letting Levi soak in everything that he had told him, after all, he knew that he just laid a lot on him. Levi wasn't sure what to do. Erwin was asking something of him that he wasn't sure he wanted to render. _That_ life was behind him, and he wanted it to remain that way.

They both looked up when they heard footsteps approaching, and Levi saw Annie with a tray of two burgers for him and Erwin. He could see why this was the house special, and why it took so long. Everything was on it, and the fries next to it looked like golden perfection. Erwin thanked Annie, and promised to leave a nice tip, to which she shrugged her shoulders and said 'do what you want.'

Erwin wasted no time situating his food and eating. Levi stared at his plate, trying to find the words to say, which was hard to do, considering he didn't even know how he felt.

"I'm only asking this of you once, Levi" Erwin said, before taking another bite of his burger. Levi looked up, and stared at the man he called his best friend. Truthfully, Erwin was his only friend. Petra and the others were close to him through work and work only. He and Erwin had history.

"You want me" Levi stated lowly "to return to what I was before I met you. Even it is just for a small amount of time."

Erwin nodded his head almost childlike with his cheeks stuffed with food, and Levi sighed heavily before digging into his own. He took the cloth that held the silverware and set it across his lap before he ate. More moments of silence came, and before they knew it, their food was gone. Turns out Levi had an appetite after all.

Annie came back with their bill, and collected the trash, noticing the tension between the two men. Once she was gone, Levi spoke.

"What do you need me to do?"

Erwin smirked triumphantly, and Levi wanted to smack it off his face.

"First things first" Erwin stated "because whoever we're dealing with isn't opposed to killing, I'm ordering that you protect Eren Jaeger at all costs. Although he may be close to eighteen, I don't want a minor under anyone's radar."

Levi looked at him and scowled again, knowing exactly where this was going.

"Erwin, please…"

"Consider him under our witness protection program" Erwin continued, mischievous smirk growing.

"Why me?" Levi asked. Another head ache was coming on, and Levi knew that it wouldn't go away until this case was completely over with.

"Because you're the only one capable of protecting him if something were to happen" Erwin stated. It was the truth, Levi knew it, but if he could avoid this…

"How do you want me to do this?"

Erwin smiled fully, and Levi hated it. He hated it because he knew it was going to be something that would make him suffer, which Erwin found entertaining.

"Eren Jaeger will be living with you until this case is completed."


	4. Chapter 4

4

"I will punch you out this fucking window."

"I'm glad you're on board" Erwin responded.

"Erwin you can't just…" Levi paused, trying to regain composure. "This is a lot you're asking me to do."

"But you can handle it" Erwin stated, taking on last drink of whiskey before leaving the table, Levi in tow. "I wouldn't ask you if you couldn't handle it."

Levi walked behind Erwin, silently plotting his revenge. It wouldn't be today, tomorrow, or even this week, but it would come. When they reached the front, Erwin walked to the register, gesturing that lunch was on him, and Levi rolled his eyes. Erwin just asked him to return to his old habits, adopt a seventeen year old brat, and possibly fly to Germany. The least he could do was pay for lunch.

"Are you the two fellows that devoured my burgers?"

Levi and Erwin turned around and found the face of the voice responsible for asking such an awkward question, and met a middle aged blonde man in a cook's uniform. Annie swiped Erwin's card, and handed it back. Erwin walked over to shake hands with the man.

"Most men can't eat a house burger in one sitting" the cook said. Erwin said something along the lines of 'I'm not most men' and Levi scowled. The cook turned his way and Levi read his name tag.

'_Hannes.'_

"I'm Hannes" he stated, reaching a hand out. "Nice to meet you…."

"Levi" he answered, not accepting the hand shake. Hannes retracted his hand awkwardly, and smiled at both men.

"Maybe next time you come by I'll give you a house burger for free. You can say it's 'on the house."

Erwin laughed graciously, what Levi recognized as fake, at Hannes horrible pun, while he just stood there and impatiently waited to leave. Erwin dismissed themselves and the two men were making their way their vehicles on the way out.

"Your social skills haven't improved" Erwin stated, reaching in his pocket for a black pair of shades.

"Not anymore than your eyebrows" Levi responded, smirking as he heard Erwin scoff and got into his vehicle.

"Arlert's house. Now" Erwin demanded, only slightly peeved.

Levi wouldn't describe himself as anxious; anxiety just wasn't something he felt these days. But the drive to the Arlert's house was accompanied by an increased heart rate the closer he got. Driving always helped him think, and Levi kept a steady gaze on the road and the houses of the rich while he thought over everything that had happened today.

When Erwin found him, he was a wreck, had been on the verge of death, and had been offered a way out. He could have very well said no, and Erwin would have left him alone, but Levi wanted to be away from the chaos that was once his life; anything would have sounded enticing at that moment. He accepted this job that provided minimal 'jump scares' and moved on. He didn't miss it; not one hell of a bit did he miss it. But Levi wouldn't lie when he said he felt there was something lacking…

It wasn't the gunshots he missed; that was for sure. Nor was it the constant smell of thick smoke and lack of daylight that he craved. Erwin had said something about the 'freedom.' Levi wasn't sure if he would call it freedom, but he had experienced a particular sense of independence in those days, but he certainly wasn't _free_.

He wondered why Erwin waited so long to tell him about Geheimnis. He wondered if he had ever planned on telling him about the secret group. He didn't feel betrayed. No, _that_ wasn't it. But he wouldn't lie here either when he said that he was a little confused as to why Erwin would keep that a secret; from him, at least.

He wanted to protest; he wanted to yell that he didn't want this case anymore. It came with too much baggage for his liking. He understood why Eren Jaeger would need to be under surveillance; there was no telling who was behind this or what they wanted, or what measures they would take to get it. Murder was clearly an option for them, but nobody else needed to die. Not that Ilse Langar had needed to, but still.

When they arrived at the Arlert home, Levi took a deep breath before exiting his car and walking up the small walkway to the front door where he was just yesterday. He was pretty sure Eren would protest as much as he wanted to, but Erwin didn't give in to pleading. Erwin rang the doorbell, and both listened to the sound of birds chirping and wind blowing through the trees. _Such rich sounds._

When grandfather Arlert opened the door, he looked tired, but forced a smile. He welcomed Erwin and Levi in, leading them to the living room to sit on the couch.

"Would you gentlemen like anything to drink? Water or coffee perhaps?"

"No thank you" Erwin stated. Levi said nothing. He didn't want elder Arlert to go to the trouble, plus no one else managed to make his coffee the way he liked it but him.

"Well, I'll go get Eren. He's upstairs taking a nap. The news about the assistant at the hospital, Ilse Langar, well…that really got to him. So, whatever it is you have to talk to him about, please, be gentle."

Erwin and Levi nodded curtly while grandfather went upstairs. Levi highly doubted that they needed to be as gentle as his tone suggested, seeing that Eren Jaeger was a stubborn being. He could tell that much from just the few short moments he spent with the boy. He was hot headed, and that was something Levi would never be accustomed to, ever.

Soft footsteps came from the stairway, and in walked Eren and grandfather.

Levi took him in and saw the circles under his eyes again. His 'nap' must not have gone so well. His white t-shirt was crinkled, as were his jeans. The boy's bed head was god awful. His dark brown hair was sticking in different directions in different patches.

Eren sat down in a single plush chair and looked at the ground. Levi assumed he always did this when he wasn't sure how he was feeling. The night he first met Eren, the boy was looking down. But when he got fired up, the light in his eyes, his tempter, his head, everything about him went up. Grandfather took the similar seat next to him, and Erwin cleared his throat to speak.

"Eren" he said sympathetically, "I know the recent news of Ilse Langar must be upsetting for you, but trust when I say that we have some important people working on this case as we speak. We are going to find your father."

Eren nodded, barely, while grandfather nodded a tad bit more vigorously. Levi mentally huffed. Erwin hadn't said 'dead or alive.'

"The events of today have opened our eyes. We now see that whoever is behind this, whether they work alone or not, are not opposed to murder. I believe Dr. Grisha Jaeger was taken for a reason, but there's no telling what that reason, or those reasons, are. We don't know if they'll come after his family for answers to whatever they want to know. That being said, I am officially placing Eren under our witness protection program. He will no longer be allowed to stay here, as staying here would put you and Armin Arlert in danger as well." Erwin gestured a kind hand to both individuals. Levi took in their expressions, noting that grandfather's remained the same, while Eren's became more agitated by the moment. Erwin had still been talking when he interrupted.

"What if they come here anyway?" Eren asked, not caring he interrupted. Levi flicked his eyes to Erwin, who looked surprised by the outburst. Unlike Levi, Erwin had not seen the impulsiveness that was Eren. Erwin answered him respectfully, giving him the details of witness protection and how it will affect those around him.

"But the goal is to keep you safe" Erwin stated, pointing to Eren. "Say your father is alive, and…"

"He is" Eren bit out. Grandfather let out a tired 'Eren' sigh, and Levi cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, of course" Erwin said. "Whoever did this has to need him for something. If your father is not giving them information, what are the chances that they come after you, his blood?"

Eren seemed to contemplate for just a short moment before, unfortunately, opening his mouth.

"I don't need protection" Eren said, to which Levi closed his eyes and rolled them. Grandfather said his name again, exasperated, but calling the boys alias was obviously not getting through to him.

"Eren this is for your safety" grandfather said. "You could get hurt too."

"I don't need anyone to babysit me" Eren responded, jaw jutting forward slightly. Levi could practically _feel_ the stubborn radiating off him. The idea that this was going to be a part of his life for an indefinite amount of time upset him.

"You won't be able to attend school" Erwin stated, putting the conversation back where he wanted it to be. "You will be continuing classes online."

Erwin Smith was such a good persuader. Like, if there was a career where all you needed to do was persuade, for whatever reason, he'd be the founder, CEO, and image of it. That same talent is what probably made Levi turn from his ways. That and the fact that he was hurt, but give and take a little.

But Eren Jaeger's stubbornness _had_ to match that of Erwin's power of persuasion. It was a mental battle going on in the room. Eren was the wall, and Erwin was the destroyer. He'd seen Erwin win every time, but could he face the looming wall of the Jaeger?

It was then that Levi realized he needed to fucking sleep.

Apparently arguing had ensued, because grandfather looked more flustered than usual, and Eren was spouting off something about 'not being a burden' and 'he could take care of himself.'

"Hey" Levi interrupted sharply, more than intended, earning everyone's attention. "Getting knocked out does not qualify as taking care of yourself."

"I was outnumbered!" Eren added.

"And with the people we're dealing with, you'll be outgunned if you try to face this alone. Now, none of us here want to see a kid in a body bag, so I suggest you suck it up and let this happen. I'm not happy about it either, but it is necessary for safety."

Eren huffed, letting it go through one ear and out the other. "What does it matter to you?" he asked spitefully.

"You will be staying with Detective Levi here until this case is solved" Erwin said, finally dropping the bomb. Everyone, except Levi, stopped breathing for a moment, letting that sink in. If they were already facing resistance, it was sure to increase tenfold because…

"No!" Eren yelled, standing up. "Not with him of all people!"

"Eren" grandfather warned. Erwin cleared his throat, letting only an ounce of his irritation seep in. "Levi is the only Stohess detective qualified to protect you. He has special…skills that would prove beneficial should anything ever become, for lack of a better term, crazy."

Levi inwardly sighed at Erwin's mentioning of 'special skills.' He didn't know 'equipped to kill' was a special skill. It would surely prove beneficial though. Eren's eyes raked over Levi slowly, as if he could spot those 'special skills' on the outside.

"He hates me" Eren argued, to which Levi actually let an amused laugh filter through, earning a pair of green eyes full of dislike on his.

"No he does not" Erwin said, almost sympathetically, as if he could understand Eren's struggle with that. Levi was a cold person most of the time, so to that, Erwin would not argue too much. Eren, with his anger reaching a peak, turned around and made his way to the back doors leading to the patio. He needed a breather.

When he was outside, he sat down heavily at the stone table the Arlert's used for cookouts, and crossed his arms. Eren was not something that needed to be protected, much less by Levi. There were so many things he could say to argue his point, but even to him, it started to sound like bullshit.

He understood the importance of his safety, and his safety also meant the safety of Armin, grandfather, and Mikasa too. Eren sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair to feel the sun.

Eren thought of Carla, and Grisha, and everything that had come to a head in his life. Why couldn't his life be normal? Why couldn't he have both his parents at home, living a happy life? Why did he have to be so angry all the time; stubborn? What was wrong with him?

He heard the small groan of the patio door being opened, and a soft click of it being closed. He knew it was grandfather, because Armin and Mikasa weren't home, and the man's tendency to huff when he sat down was another indicator. For minutes, neither said anything. Eren wondered if Commander Erwin and Detective Levi left, giving up on him; hopefully they had, but he didn't ask.

"Remember when you, Armin, Mikasa, and all your other friends came here for the fourth of July? And Sasha ate so much she threw up on Connie. Connie cried, and everyone laughed."

Eren opened his eyes finally and leaned forward in his seat, turning his head to make eye contact with grandfather. He was confused as to why he would bring up something at a time like this. Especially something that happened when they were all ten years old.

"Yea" he answered tiredly. "And Connie started chasing Sasha around for that, and you were running after them."

The two laughed, because the memory of grandfather running after a delusional, gross Connie and erratic Sasha was enough to trigger that. Eren remembered doubling over in laughter; even Mikasa had to cover her mouth to refrain from laughing so hard. Jean had punched Marco's arm in excitement, while Marco just winced slightly and continued to laugh. Bert, being the tallest, wrapped his arms around Annie and Reiner, all three joining in laughter. If he was correct, that was one of the only times Eren had seen Bert be so free.

Their laughter died down, and grandfather wiped a tear of mirth from his cheek. "You know" he started, catching his breath "I was hardly able to get to them then. I had to tackle little Connie, which meant getting throw up on my clothes."

Eren started laughing again, good memories flowing through his mind. Their group of friends would forever have crazy memories like those, and they'd never grow old.

"If it were to happen again, I wouldn't be able to keep up now either" grandfather said, a soft smile on his face, but his tone becoming serious. Eren cleared his throat and sat quietly, waiting for the punch line.

"I'm an old man, Eren. I've been old since before you were born" he huffed. "It was hard for me to accept that I was getting old, and people wanted to constantly help me, more than they used to, and do things for me. It was upsetting. It was upsetting because I didn't believe I needed any help, because I wasn't ready to accept that I was getting old."

"Grandpa" Eren interrupted.

"Eren, listen" he bit out, immediately silencing Eren. "Your stubbornness rivals that of your mother. Carla was a stubborn woman, always doing what she wanted to because it was right to her. One time, I was planting flowers in the front yard, and she drove by. She got out, and offered to help me. Of course I told her it was no trouble and she could go about her day, but by the time I was finished talking, she had picked up a shovel and started digging. I argued her down, because I didn't want any help. Well, let's just say it ended with my garden fertilized and Carla smirking triumphantly before she left. The woman always got her way."

And to that, Eren smiled a gentle, yet sad smile. It was one that said he appreciated the story. He loved hearing about his mom.

"So you get it from your mother" grandfather continued. "And I get it from…well…I'm not sure, but I knew I got over it. Once I realized that a little help now and then wasn't hurting anyone, I swallowed my pride and let things happen. Because what if I had fallen off the ladder when I was putting that new light bulb in the porch lamp? Or if I had sprained my wrists trying to carry all the groceries at once? Or if I had played football with little Reiner and broken a hip? My stubbornness doesn't just hurt me, but it hurts the people that care about me too. You see what I'm saying, Eren?"

Eren, having felt chastised, nodded, because he knew perfectly well what grandfather was telling him.

"Let them help you" he continued. "I know Detective Levi doesn't seem like the warmest person the world's ever seen, but at least you'll be safe, and that's what matters. Not your pride, or your dislike of him, but your life always means more. Because quite frankly, if someone barged into this house with guns drawn, I wouldn't be able to protect you, and we'd all get hurt."

Eren nodded, feeling his throat tightening again, because he couldn't believe how selfish he had been. Staying could mean putting Armin and grandfather in danger, and there was no way he wanted them to fall victim to this madness. So, he stood up, and leaned down to hug grandpa, and told him how sorry he was.

"Don't be" grandpa consoled. "I understand your frustration, but you need to be safe, that's all I want."

It wasn't much later that the two went back inside, and Eren saw Erwin and Levi still on the couch, sitting in silence. When Levi's eyes flicked to meet his, Eren's heart sped up. This was the man he'd be staying with for an indefinite amount of time. He knew nothing about Levi, his life, his habits; nothing. He sat down in the seat he had previously been in, and tore his eyes away from the detective's.

"I'm sorry" Eren said. "I understand what you're trying to do, and I'm sorry for blowing up, sir."

Levi could tell that Eren was specifically talking to Erwin, and that was fine by him. It didn't hurt his feelings. He'd actually be happy if Erwin let Eren go, then he wouldn't have to live with the kid. Erwin accepted the apology happily, and clapped his hands together once.

"Now" he said, "let's try this again."

The scent of rotting flesh was never pleasant to wake up to. Nor was it pleasant to wake up still tired, dizzy, and nauseous.

He groaned, not only from pain, but to see if there was anyone in the room with him; alive, that is. His throat was dry, unbearably so. If he was going to talk, he would need water first.

The sound of shuffling feet came from behind him in the dimly lit warehouse-like room, but he couldn't turn his neck to see. It was either one of three people; they were all assigned shifts to watch him. As if he could do anything tied up to a wooden chair and drugged.

"Grisha" a voice cut through the silence, slightly echoing. Grisha knew exactly who it was; that calm, soft voice only belonged to one person he knew. He groaned again, hoping Moblit would get the point that he needed water. He heard footsteps, this time walking away, and a squeak and rush of water. A cup was being filled, and Grisha closed his eyes for a moment. His legs had fallen asleep a long time ago, and his wrists hurt with struggle and low circulation. He opened his eyes when he felt ice cold hands tilt his head up, and the rim of a cup touch his lips.

"Drink this" Moblit said, his tone grossly nurturing. Grisha did, of course, and didn't care that the water, or cup, tasted metallic.

Probably blood.

He gasped when he downed the whole thing, closed his eyes again, wondering if he could focus on finding strength to speak, even though his throat was no longer scratchy. He looked at the face in front of him.

Moblit Berner always looked kind, probably because he was. He had always been an extremely helpful person; always following. Following orders, people, dreams that weren't even his. It was for those same reasons that Grisha had assumed a long time ago that Moblit didn't have a mind of his own. However, that never came up as a topic of conversation between the two. Even now, his face masked slightly by the poor lighting in the cold room, he looked kind. If Grisha had his glasses, he was sure he could make out the faintest hint of a smirk on his face.

Moblit pulled away, and stepped back to the sink area where he filled the cup in the first place. He must have been washing other things as well, because the clanking of metal against metal and water was still sounding in the room.

"You know" Moblit spoke, "it would be easier if you helped us. Easier on you; easier on us too."

Grisha said nothing. He had nothing to say. He felt swells of anger rise underneath, but his expression never betrayed how he was feeling. He learned to remain impassive; it was the safest way to live.

"I hate seeing you like this, Grisha" Moblit spoke again, this time, the water stopping, and he dried his hands on his wool sweater. He turned around and grabbed the chair he had been sitting in for hours, and pulled it to sit on front of Grisha. His calloused hands folded in his lap, and his eyes met Grisha's.

He looked weary, and of course he would. His blood had been pumped with sedatives for hours upon hours now. He hadn't eaten either.

"Would you like something to eat?" Moblit asked, true concern in his voice. Grisha's eyes hardened, but his face remained unreadable. Moblit cocked his head to the side curiously, and spoke.

"We won't let you starve to death" he said. "So, I'll get you something."

Moblit got up to leave the room, the chair left where he had been. The sound of a heavy metal door opening resonated behind Grisha, and a loud sound replaced it when it closed. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and thinking.

He didn't see an end to this. Well, he did. But the end he envisioned was himself in a pile of his own blood, on one of those examination tables to be exact.

He thought of Eren. He was told he was alright, but that wasn't much comfort, because that meant they were watching him.

It was amazing how the past could catch up with someone. It was always unexpected, and therefore, mostly inconvenient. He thought about the days where he was still in Germany. He attended medical school in hopes to be a surgeon, and he met that goal too. He moved to America in attempts to run away from his past, and looked how that turned out.

He was back in Germany, back in the same room, where it all started.

"Call and text me everyday" Mikasa said in Eren's ear. Eren hummed something in agreement, and continued to hug his 'sister.'

Armin was next to him, waiting for his. Grandfather was a few feet behind him, the hard age lines of his face less visible in the night. Mikasa reluctantly let go of Eren, and Armin moved in for his hug as well.

"You're going to be alright" the blond reassured. "This is all going to be solved soon."

Eren nodded, his head on Armin's shoulder. His throat felt tight again, but he fought away the tears that wanted to spill. He wasn't moving away permanently, and he wasn't really going away. He'd be across the city, but still.

When he let go of Armin, he walked to grandfather, and hugged him too. Grandfather patted him hard on the back, and Eren inhaled deeply.

Levi was feet away, standing by his car, arms crossed, gaze pretending to be somewhere else, but he was seeing the whole thing. Those embraces, the comforting words, those green eyes with a hint of blue and sadness in them...

Erwin, who was standing by his own car, was observing the scene as well, a sad smirk on his face. Levi knew what it represented. There was no telling what direction this case would go in now. Just because Eren was being placed under protection didn't mean he was invincible. Levi didn't brag; his 'special skills' did live up to their name, but he wasn't perfect. Or at least he didn't think he was.

Eren grabbed his grey duffle off the red brick walkway, and turned around to head towards Levi's car. Levi grabbed his keys from his pants pocket and clicked a button, making the trunk pop. Eren walked to the back, and placed his duffle in, taking a deep breath as he pushed down on the door to close it.

This was really happening. He was really about to start living with Levi. The man hadn't said anything else to him, and Eren was worrying even more than normal. Was he always this quiet? Did he have any habits that would piss him off? Did he own a pet?

He wasn't sure where that last one came from, but blame the mind and its tendency to wander.

Eren looked up, the moonlight bright in his eyes, and imagined being able to fly. If he could grow wings and fly away, high, towards the moon, would that be enough to escape everything here on the ground?

He shook his head abruptly, and noticed that Erwin had walked up to grandfather, and was speaking. Mikasa and Armin stood and listened intently, not wanting to miss a word of what he was saying. Eren couldn't even hear what was being said, but the commander's kind yet business-like expression made him want to walk back to where the group was standing and listen as well.

"He's giving them final rundowns" he heard a bored voice behind him say. Eren turned around, and saw the short detective, hands in black coat pockets, and appearance illegible as usual.

There was something about Levi, Eren thought, that was dangerous. He felt like an idiot for assuming an impassive detective in all black had a past, but judging a book by its cover was normal. It wasn't the attire per say, nor was it the blank face. But those eyes that were steel blue and foggy grey held something in them that hinted a threat.

Commander Smith had said Levi was the only one capable of protecting him if things got crazy. He wanted to ask. He wanted to know just how skilled Levi was, but was afraid if he did, he'd get a punch to the face as an answer. Eren hadn't missed Levi tense for a moments time when Erwin said 'special skills.' It came as fast as it went, and he wondered if he had seen correctly.

"Unless you're going to say something, stop staring, Jaeger."

Eren felt his cheeks go a little hot and quickly turned away, not even realizing that he had been caught looking in those steel eyes he had just been thinking about. _There was something behind them._

He saw Mikasa walking quickly towards him. She gave him one last hug while Levi got in his car and started the engine. It was a nice, clean purr.

"If he says or does anything" Mikasa said quietly "you let me know."

Eren smirked, it was faked, and nodded. Mikasa backed away, letting Eren open his car door and slipped inside. He was very well aware of Mikasa's fighting abilities, although he wasn't sure where they came from. It's like they came out of nowhere one day when she was saving his ass in a school fight years ago.

Once the car door closed, Eren immediately noted the silence, chill, and lingering cologne smell. It was altogether soothing somehow. The group waved, including Erwin while he walked back to his car, as Levi started to drive away. Eren looked in the mirror, watching them become smaller and smaller before they were on a whole new road and driving down the hazily lighted streets of Trost.

The car ride was silent, but Eren could tell they weren't leaving the area just yet. It wasn't until he saw the big entrance to his neighborhood that he finally spoke.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Your house" Levi answered. "You won't be attending school, but you still need your books. You will continue education online."

Eren turned his gaze back to the road and thought for a moment. It wasn't until they pulled into the driveway of the Jaeger home that Eren asked another question. "What about my friends? They'll notice I'm missing."

"The Arlert's and Mikasa know what to say" Levi said, stopping the engine. "Grab anything else you might need while you're in there. I don't want to drive the distance to Trost again for a while."

Eren nodded, not meeting Levi's eyes, and got out of the car. His footsteps felt heavy walking towards the door. He knew there was a spare under the mat at the front door, and opened the door, quietly going inside.

He knew there wasn't anyone in there, but he still felt vigilant. No one was going to come out of the shadows and hurt him, but still, knowing that he was a possible target was making him paranoid.

Upstairs in his room, he saw that his bed wasn't made from Friday morning. There were still a few clothes strewn on the floor. His school books sat on his desk, and Eren went to his closet to pull out another duffle bag. It was smaller, because this was the one he used for staying the night somewhere else. It was weighed down unevenly on one side by the books, and Eren grabbed extra underwear and socks. He went to his bathroom across the hall, and grabbed some essentials. He looked underneath the sink for his shampoo and conditioner and grabbed those.

He saw the familiar, unopened box of condoms underneath too. The fact that he even considered he might need it for whatever reason made his cheeks heat. He would literally be in no position to use these while staying with Levi. It was dumb to even think it.

So Eren was confused when he still buried the box underneath his extra clothes anyway.

Eren stood in the center of his room, glancing around slowly, wondering if there was anything else he wanted to bring. His eyes caught the pictures tacked on the wall above his desk, and he walked over to grab two.

The first one was a picture of him and his mom. He was only four at the time, and he couldn't make out where they had been, but Carla had been holding him, both their smiles mirroring each other's.

The second one was of him and his group of friends. It was taken last summer at Connie's house. It was some kind of pool party with a few extra attendees, but the photo was just of their group. Connie and Sasha were in the middle, Jean to Connie's left, and Krista to Sasha's right. Marco followed Jean, and Ymir followed Krista. After Jean was Eren, then Armin, and Mikasa. After Ymir was Reiner, then Annie, then Bert.

It was one of his favorite photos of them all. Everyone was making a ridiculous face, accept Bert, who smiled awkwardly as always, and Marco, who just blushed and let his cute freckles do all the talking.

Everything was so much simpler back then.

Eren sighed and quickly put both photos in his bag as well, careful to leave them on the top so they wouldn't be crumpled. He left his room with a soft close of the door behind him, and walked slowly past his father's bedroom, begging himself not to go inside. There was nothing in there that would help anyway.

He walked down the stairs and towards the back to make sure the door was locked. When he walked through the living room and the hallway where it all happened, he felt slightly dizzy. The images of walking down stairs and seeing his father restrained and kicking were pulsing in this mind. The rush of adrenalin as Eren swung the vase blindly at one of the kidnappers, the feel of his vision blackening around the edges like a burning photo while on the ground.

Eren walked briskly though and ignored it. He was sure Levi would be getting impatient with him. He'd taken longer than planned.

He closed the house door, and decided to keep the spare key with him. Slipping it into his jean pocket, he walked away. Away from the house, the emotions, and memories. He was sure they'd come back and present themselves in his sleep as they did every time he tried to doze off.

He saw the outline of the trunk slightly elevated, and knew that Levi must have opened it for him again. He threw his other bag next to the one already inside, and closed the trunk, this time harder than the first.

Levi took note of the unexpected silence of the car ride. It wasn't like he expected, or wanted, Eren to start spouting off and never stop. He just figured the teen would have had something to say or ask.

He also noticed Eren look tenser after the visitation to his house. He knew the memories were probably bothering him. After all, not everyone can watch their parent get taken and then be knocked out and walk away unscathed. Eren may not have physical damage as a result, but emotionally, he was wounded.

Or Levi assumed so. In all his years of working, legal or not, he knew that emotions were the worst enemies of some men. Everyone has a weakness, physical and emotional. Levi thought back to the days where physical weaknesses weren't really present in his line of work, but once he found their emotional weakness, the one thing they couldn't live without, the thing that mattered the most to them, he took it away.

It was an effective method of survival.

The city traffic was annoying as always, and Levi cursed a few or four times under his breath at reckless or slow drivers. He didn't miss Eren's shoulders shake a little when he berated the car in front of him for cutting him off.

Once they arrived on his side of town, Levi noticed Eren looking out the window intently.

"Have you ever been on this side of town before?" Levi asked.

Eren, whose eyes resembled that of a deer's caught in headlights, turned his head to Levi as if he had been caught doing something bad. Levi squinted, not really sure why the boy looked so shocked.

"Only a few times" he answered, his voice normal, turning to look out the window again. "My father attended black and white parties in the area. I unfortunately had to tag along. It sucked. I don't know why he thought I wanted to parade around in a suit in front of people I didn't know or care for, but whatever."

Eren was afraid he had said too much, and turned his head to look at Levi, waiting for a gaze of disapproval. Instead, he saw an expression that he wouldn't quite classify as approving, but something of the sort. He was going to ask a question, before he felt the car slow down, and turned his head forward to see them approaching the car garage of a nice, large apartment complex.

"This is where you live?" he asked, stating the obvious. Levi didn't say anything, but nodded, not even caring if Eren saw it or not. He pulled into his usual parking spot, and stopped the engine. He got out, popped the trunk, and started walking towards the elevator, hoping Eren would keep up.

It was after eight, and Levi knew that Eren would be hungry. He sighed as the teen boarded the elevator with his two duffle bags, and complained about his stomach growling.

"What?" Eren asked as the elevator pinged and road up. "I'm a growing boy, I need food."

Levi said nothing, and refrained from rolling his eyes. When they reached his floor, they got off and Eren took in the hallway around him. The walls were a soft cream color, and the carpeted floor suggested that this apartment complex was a high class one. Eren didn't know what kind of money Levi made as a detective, but it must be good considering the location of his living quarters. As Levi unlocked the door, he gestured for Eren to go inside first. Eren obeyed and didn't catch Levi look both ways before closing the door behind him.

Eren took in the comfy surroundings. He was honestly surprised; he hadn't expected such a warm looking place to belong to such a cold man. The living room was plain, consisting of a medium sized ivory couch. It wasn't tacky, and fit the ivory and gold accents of the apartment well. There was a low coffee table, and a medium sized flat screen on the wall opposite of the couch.

"That couch will be your new bed" he heard a bored voice behind him say.

But Eren really wasn't paying too much attention. He was still reeling over the environment he found himself in. There was noise coming from the kitchen, and instead of following Levi in there, he walked to sit on the couch, carefully.

'I hope I don't break anything in here' he thought.

The area smelled faintly of the cologne Levi's car smelled of. It was then that Eren wondered what brand it was, because he liked it. Of course, he would never ask.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting on the couch, but the aroma of something good lingered in the room, and Eren stood up to walk towards the kitchen.

He was greeted by a heavier smell of food being cooked on the stove by a lean muscled detective. With Levi's usual attire of a black jacket gone, Eren could see the fine lines of muscle in his arms. It let him know that his assumption was correct, yes, Levi was built underneath that black coat.

"Make yourself useful and set the table."

Eren gulped, not knowing Levi knew he was there. That was the second time Levi had caught him staring, and the man hadn't even been looking. Eren stepped forward slowly, his shoes making muffled sounds on the hard floor.

"Silverware is in the drawer to my right. Glassware and plates are in the cabinet to my left. Get bowls."

Eren walked to the cabinet first, carefully picking out two white ceramic bowls, and setting two small glasses on the counter next to them. There was a small dining table in the corner of the kitchen next to a window. There were two chairs placed on opposite ends, so Eren placed the plates and glasses accordingly.

When he went back for silverware, he took the opportunity to look at the stove and see what Levi was cooking. He saw noodles boiling, and a few containers of seasoning a little ways off. Next to the pot of boiling noodles, he saw a small pot of a white looking substance simmering. He wondered what…

"Alfredo."

Eren looked up quickly, before opening the drawer and grabbing two forks and two knives. Levi had a skill of answering his questions before he asked. Was that a part of his 'special skills' set?

Realizing that he was just standing there, Eren went back to the table and placed the silverware down. He decided to shoot Mikasa a quick text message saying he was alright and getting ready to eat. The girl was most likely still at Armin's, and would probably be for a while. As soon as he sent it, she replied.

'And him?'

Eren knew she was asking about Levi, and responded.

'He's fine.'

And that was that. Eren walked over to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. He liked the marble-granite décor of the place, and decided he liked it. Decoration wasn't something he paid attention to, really, but he liked the feel of Levi's apartment already. It was quiet, and somehow felt homey.

It was ten more minutes before the food was ready. Eren had been sitting at the table, gazing out the window. Several thoughts ran through his mind, and he wondered how Levi was feeling about all this. A single man wouldn't want to house a temperamental teenage boy, would he? Wait…was Levi even single?

He'd probably never get around to asking that question, whether it was innocent or not.

He heard footsteps, knowing Levi was coming over with the food. He sat up straight, watching as creamy, steamy noodles poured carefully from the steel pot into the bowl, and soon, Levi was doing the same for his bowl.

The man walked to set the pot on the stove, and washed his hands thoroughly before eating. Eren wondered if he was supposed to wait before stuffing his face or not. It was too late though, because as soon as the food was placed in his bowl, he went to town. It was delicious. His father was a mediocre cook, and the only time he got to eat quality meals was at Armin's house, or one of his friend's. It was so good he hadn't noticed the detective sitting across from him, eyes squinted.

Levi watched the boy eat like he hadn't eaten in days, and then wondered if he had. He knew Eren had to be worried, but for the sake of it…

"You have terrible table manners" he said, grabbing his own fork and pausing. Eren looked up, mouth full, noodles hanging out of his mouth, and cheeks heating.

"And I see you don't know how to properly set a fucking table."

Levi began to eat, and Eren gulped down everything, feeling peeved.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not caring about the volume of his voice. "I put the plates and silverware on the table like you asked…"

"Forks to the left, knives to the right. Cups to the left, slightly above the plate or bowl."

"Speaking of cups" Eren said, ignoring Levi's insults "Isn't my cup supposed to be filled?"

Levi looked up, his eyes meeting Eren's. Once again, he was impressed with how steady the boy's gaze held his, and cocked his head to the side, indicating that the teen had a point. He got up quietly, walking to the fridge. Eren watched him, wondering if he pissed the man off.

"Orange juice, milk, and several bottles of water" Levi said, turning his head to Eren, waiting on him to choose.

"No soda?" Eren asked, and to which Levi closed the fridge and walked back to the table to resume eating. He couldn't help but smirk a little bit, noting how the man looked annoyed, but not angry.

"I just told you the options."

Eren huffed and stood up, walking to the fridge himself. He decided water would have to do, and grabbed a bottle. Levi wasn't lying when he said 'several bottles of water.' The fridge over fifty percent water, and the rest was kitchen essentials. "What would you like?"

Levi wasn't expecting Eren to ask what he wanted, but answered. "Water is fine."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, both males making tiny discoveries about the other. Eren noticed the Levi liked things to be clean. His attire, apartment, and table manners suggested so. Occasionally, his eyes would wander to the window and look out across the city before resuming his food.

Levi noted the Eren didn't so much care about manners as much as he did the meal itself, which was only slightly annoying. His elbows were on the table, his smacking was audible, and he stuffed his cheeks. It was disgusting, but Levi found it, dare he say, kind of cute. The boy looked more at ease than he had earlier, and that was comforting for some reason.

"I can do dishes" Eren volunteered, once they were done.

"No."

"What?" Eren asked, following Levi to the kitchen sink. "You cooked, I can at least…"

"No."

"Why?" Eren asked, genuinely curious. Levi didn't answer for a while, hoping Eren would just leave. When he didn't, he sighed lightly, and spoke.

"You won't wash them properly."

And the fucker laughed. Eren laughed at it, and Levi found himself getting more annoyed than with his manners earlier.

"Seriously? Are you some kind of neat freak?"

Eren regretted the words as soon as he said it, because Levi stopped washing the bowls abruptly, and slowly turned around to glare at Eren with steel eyes.

"Sorry" Eren said quickly, retreating from the kitchen. He went back to the living room, mostly because his stuff was there, and Levi hadn't yet introduced him to the rest of the apartment. He sat on the couch, wondering just how he had gotten here. Yesterday, he was in the comfort of Armin's home. Two days ago, he was in the comfort of his own home. Today, he was in the awkward silence of a stranger's home, but at least the décor was nice. It wasn't too long before Levi walked in the living room, all lean muscle in that black, short sleeved shirt, and dark jeans. Eren was upset that he continued to notice those kinds of things.

The detective sat down on the opposite end of Eren, not facing him or looking at him either, but staring ahead of him, as if he was seeing something Eren couldn't.

"Ground rules, Jaeger" Levi cut the silence. "One, clean up after yourself. If you leave a sock, underwear, anything anywhere it does not belong I'll be pissed. Two, you cannot invite anyone here. I know that seems like a given, but still, I don't want anyone at my fucking apartment. If you want to order food, fine, ask me, and I'll answer the door to pay for it. As far as you need to be concerned, you have dropped off the face of the earth for a while, and no one needs to know where you are. Is that understood?"

Eren recognized that ascetic tone as one that was not asking as so much telling. The first time he heard it was when he snapped at Levi out of irritation and anxiety the night his father was taken. Levi calmly but sternly demanded Eren to calm down and talk.

"Yes sir" Eren said. Levi nodded curtly, and continued.

"My work assistant will be coming here tomorrow to help set up your online schooling for you. I'll be going to the office after she shows up. So, when she leaves, you are not to go anywhere."

Eren nodded, understanding.

"The bathroom is down the hall, to your left" Levi said, standing up to walk away. "I have work to do. Don't use all the hot water."

And with that, Levi disappeared down the carpeted hallway, and Eren heard the sound of a door closing. Probably to Levi's bedroom.

Once Levi was in his room, he let out a deep breath, and immediately found the files he tossed on his bed, and cringed, because there were papers scattered. He hadn't been in here since this morning, and he had to leave suddenly before he had the opportunity to clean.

He organized those papers first, logged onto his laptop, and relayed today's events.

Isle Lagnar and Grisha Jaeger.

Lagnar was under his teachings for only two shorts months before Grisha was taken, and Isle was killed. Levi wasn't sure what to make of it quite yet, but there was no doubt in his tired mind that they were connected.

Erwin was right. Whoever they were dealing with was dangerous and looking for _something_. If Dr. Jaeger was still alive, it was because _they_, whoever they might be, needed him for something. If he was dead, _they_ no longer had use for him. Erwin had said Dr. Zoe was in on this as well, helping them to solve this case. Although, her objectives dealt with Dot Pixis, the old professor from Hannover with scientific ideals mirroring her own.

It wasn't much to go on, but it sure as hell was a start. Levi typed down the updated information, and scoffed quietly. His detective skills weren't so much going to be of use here as his 'special skills' were. Since that was currently his job, he decided that his work out regiment would have to be intensified for a while. There were certain things he was sure to be rusty in, but that was no longer acceptable. Erwin had given him his mission, and he was to be ready. After an hour of updating and thinking, Levi closed his laptop and made his way out of his room to the bathroom. He heard the water running, and knew that Eren was in there.

Levi walked to the living room, and found a place to sit on the couch among a couple pillows and a blanket. He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV, trying to find something to pass time. He skipped the depressing local news and even more depressing world news, and landed on a new cop show. He had caught it a few times, and apparently Petra loved it, because she talked about it all the time. Levi thought it was decent. The action and sequence of events weren't always realistic for law enforcement, but it was a show after all. A few episodes featured real life events, which always made it more interesting.

He noticed Eren walk back in, towel drying his hair, and boxers on with a blue pajama top.

Eren's face immediately went red, while Levi's eyes fixed themselves back on the screen. He thought the man would still be in his room, and Eren planned to come right out and curl up under his blanket on the couch. He wondered if he should fish in his bag for pants, or if he should just leave it alone. Levi hadn't said anything, so…

"Sit down. You're making me anxious" Levi lied. The teen sat on the opposite side, almost on the arm rest, of the couch, as far away from Levi as he could get. It was then that Levi was confused by the boy's behavior. Once moment, Eren could be a confident brat, and the next he would be blushing and quiet.

Eren trained his eyes ahead of him, and forced himself not to look to his side. He sat stiffly in his grey boxers, and wondered when the man would leave. Apparently, Levi was interested on the show in front of him, with his arms crossed over his chest, leg over one knee, and hard eyes focused on the screen in front of him, and oh shit he was staring again…

"What show is this?" Eren asked, breaking the silence. Why, he didn't know.

"It's called 'The Truth' Levi answered, not liking the corny name. The show would be ending soon, and he would leave Eren and his bashfulness alone.

Eren nodded, and started to pay attention to the show. It wasn't long before he was wrapped up in it, only with ten minutes to go. Soon, he forgot his inhibitions, and started asking Levi questions.

"Who's that?"

"Why are they there?"

"Is he going to die?"

To which Levi answered "The main character, James. I don't know, and I don't know."

The episode ended with a cliffhanger, to Levi's displeasure, and apparently Eren's as well, judging from the disappointed sound he made at the end.

"We have to wait till next Sunday to find out what happens" Eren said, and Levi nodded. He handed the boy the remote, and Eren looked at it with questioning eyes.

"Take the damn remote" Levi said, annoyed. Eren took it quickly and apologized. Levi stopped himself from rolling his eyes, and walked down the hallway to the bathroom.

As soon as Eren heard the door shut, he smacked his hands on his face.

"Stupid" he breathed. Levi was only handing him the remote, and he acted all weird. As if suddenly remembering he didn't have pants on, Eren grabbed his blanket and threw it over him, covering his lower half. Levi hadn't said anything about him in boxers either, which he was glad for.

Realizing that there was nothing else on that he wanted to watch, or had energy to focus on, Eren turned off the TV, and walked to the opposite side of the living room to turn off the light. The only light the room still had was the moonlight streaming through the blinds on the windows.

Eren grabbed his phone and set up his pillows and laid down on the couch.

This would be his life. He smirked sadly, wondering how long it would be before Levi or Erwin delivered the news that his father was dead.

Everyone had been telling Eren to keep his head up, not to give up hope, but the chances of his father still being alive were looking slim. What would he do? He was still seventeen, and it would be another year before he turned eighteen. March just passed, and so did his birthday. Senior year was approaching, and he wondered by the time August rolled around if he would be an orphan.

He felt something hot slip down his cheek, and realized that it was his own tears. He didn't make the effort to wipe his cheeks, but continued to cry silently, thinking more and more about life without his father. Sure, Grisha and he had never been the closest, but that was still his father, and he'd give anything to know where he was, and if he was okay.

But until then, he'd have to live here, with Levi, until good news or bad news came his way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: ****I think everyone in the SnK/AoT fandom is aware of the non-binary rule of Hanji by now, so I'm not going to expound on the gender play here.**

**Tumblr: nocanonhere**

"You know" a voice traveled through the dark. "Professor is an impatient man. You're eventually going to have to give up."

Grisha said nothing, not that he didn't have plenty to say. But there was no sense in auguring with someone who could harm you at any given moment. He had been through another intense round of questioning, this time by Mike.

Yes, Mike Zacharius.

As if on cue, the tall man made his way to stand in front of his captive, arms crossed, and Grisha had to look up far to meet his eyes. Mike had always been tall, and Grisha wondered if he had somehow gotten taller since their college years.

"How long are you prepared to keep this up?" Mike asked, head cocked to the side slightly.

Grisha's throat was dry and sore, his legs felt like dead weight, his body felt pumped through, as it had been, and his wrists were chaffed and bloody with struggle.

"As long as it takes" he answered dryly, immediately coughing afterwards.

"Well" Mike said, lowering himself to a squat to be eye level with Grisha. "As long as it takes isn't good enough and you know that."

"Why are you still involved with this?" Grisha asked quickly, this throat protesting. "I never knew you to be someone's pet."

"I'm not a pet" Mike answered just as quickly, scowl setting in. "I'm just loyal to innovative people."

Grisha scoffed and shook his head. "And to think I once called you a friend."

"I could say the same for you, doctor" Mike added. "How's America? Is it better than being here?"

Grisha didn't answer, but squinted his eyes behind his cracked glasses signaling that yes, yes indeed America was better than being here. Anywhere would be better than being here.

"I suppose I should keep you informed" Mike said, standing up to walk across the room. It was darkness in front of them, but Grisha heard the sound of a small chain and a click, and then harsh yellow light filled the room again. He would never become accustomed to the sight before him.

Three body trays covered in bloody tools and rotting body parts. The insulation in the room was terrible, making the smell even worse. There was a board behind the trays with notes and statistics and unsurprisingly, blood. There was dried blood on the floor as well. Worst of all, on the third tray, the one farthest to the left, was the naked, pale body of a woman; flesh opened in odd places, dried blood painting her skin.

Grisha retched, but nothing came out. He hadn't been fed since yesterday, and he wasn't given much. Dry retching was the worst, because the nauseating feeling didn't leave until the stomach had been emptied.

"Informed of what?" Grisha asked, raising his voice the best he could. Mike was staring at the body, hands casually in his pants pockets, face impassive.

"Your assistant has been killed."

Grisha felt whatever blood he had leave his face, and his lips parted to breathe harder.

"My assistant-"

"Ilse Langar was shot in the head in her apartment over the weekend. I do believe she was under your tutelage for a short two months, am I correct?"

But Grisha didn't confirm; he was too busy deep breathing, trying to calm himself down, unsuccessfully.

"Who did it?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"You know who" Mike answered, walking away from the body tray to squat in front of Grisha once more. "And he will do it again. As long as you continue to hide the code, then more people will die."

Grisha clenched his fists, which didn't help his aching wrists at all. He was finally letting his displeasure and anger seep through.

"Where is it, Grisha?" Mike asked, in a tone conveying curiosity. "Does Eren know?"

"He knows nothing!" Grisha answered, voice laced with vehemence. "I already told you that!"

"But _you_ do" Mike concluded, tilting his head towards the disturbed man. "We are prepared to go all out for this, doctor. Whatever it takes to get you to fess up, then so be it. It's a shame, really. Eren has such a bright future."

"You will not touch him!" he said, fighting at his bindings.

"That's not up to you" Mike said, standing up to walk behind Grisha towards the metal door separating him from another part of whatever building he was in. "Are you so honorable that you would give your own son's life?"

And with that, the man was gone. The loud bang of the metal door signaled that Grisha was now alone; alone to ponder that question. He already lost Carla; there was no way he could lose Eren too.

But protecting Eren would mean giving Pixis what he wants, and what he wants is not sane in the slightest. It would mean the continuation of more cruel experiments performed on innocent people. There were German families who would have no idea what happened to their loved one; there were people who needed closure, and would not receive any. There were more people at risk of being taken and killed. That was the price of protecting his only son.

He replayed the conversation in his head. Ilse, poor Ilse. Unceremoniously brought into something that didn't involve her because of him; because he refused to give up the code.

Of course, he knew where it was, and what it was, but he didn't know what it would do. Whatever it did, _they_ needed it desperately for their experiments to result in success. Mike's words continued to echo in his mind, not in any particular order.

'_Are you so honorable that you would give your own son's life?'_

'_It's a shame, really. Eren has such a bright future.'_

'_As long as you continue to hide the code, then more people will die.'_

"And you're all set" Petra chirped, a bright smile on her face. "All courses that you need to complete for the rest of this school year are online, and ready for you to use."

Eren smiled brightly at the woman in front of him. Levi had told him is partner was coming to help set him up for virtual schooling, but Eren hadn't expected someone so nice and cheery. He didn't know what to expect. He guessed he was waiting for someone like Levi to come in; deep scowl, permanent eye circles, and an unlikable attitude.

Petra Ral was the complete opposite. She screamed enthusiasm when she smiled, and it was something that Eren was glad to see after a rough few days.

"Thank you, Miss Ral."

"Oh please" Petra said, smile never leaving. "You can just call me Petra. No one calls me Miss Ral. It makes me feel weird."

Eren laughed genuinely, and looked at the computer screen in front of him. It was Levi's laptop. Apparently the device was so _sacred_ that Levi had to give him ground rules before he left the house that morning.

'_Don't do anything else besides your school work.'_

'_I know I'll have to clean the keys later after you put your sweaty fingers on them.'_

'_If I find any porn, so help me Lucifer, I will kill you.'_

The last one left Eren blushing the color of a tomato, but thankfully Levi had said that on his way out the door. Petra had shown up an hour later. Levi had said that Petra would knock three times to signal it was her, and it was safe to open the door. Eren knew it was just a precaution, but that made it feel all the more real. He was a possible target, under someone's watchful eyes. Someone was waiting for him to slip up so they could get to him.

It was so exciting.

"Well, I have to get back to the office now" Petra said, standing up from the kitchen table and moving the chair back to its designated place. She stretched her little body with her arms to the ceiling, causing her standard office shirt to rise up in the back. Eren caught sight of a tattoo on her lower back, and as if Petra could _feel_ eyes staring at it, she shot her hands back down to fix her shirt. Eren laughed at her bashfulness when he saw a small blush touch her cheeks. It was cute.

"Senior year" she informed, shrugging on her blazer. "Bad high school decisions."

"Yeah" Eren added "I've made a few of those."

He spiked Petra's curiosity with that one, and the woman perched her bottom on the edge of the kitchen table. Thank the heavens Levi wasn't there to see it; he'd pitch a fit.

"Oh" she inquired. "Like what?"

Eren had always heard the dangers of telling someone your personal business, especially when you just met the person, but Petra radiated trustworthiness, and so he gave in.

"I smoked weed a few times" Eren said, turquoise eyes widening when he saw Petra scoff.

"Is that all you got?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Eren laughed again and answered.

"I've been drunk twice."

"How drunk?"

"I woke up with a bad headache."

"Anything else?"

"Me and my friends tee-peed our principles house over Christmas break."

"My friends and I, and that's still nothing."

Eren shook his head in disbelief. Petra seemed so small and innocent. What more had she done during her high school days that he hadn't?"

"Until you get _pissy_ drunk and pass out on your ex boyfriends lawn while his parents were hosting a black and white party, you haven't lived."

And that took the gold. Petra Ral, everybody. Petra Ral.

In respect, Eren started a slow clap, to which Petra laughed and tears of mirth pricked her eyes.

"I thought I was bad" Eren said, finally ending his one-man applause. Petra stood up and grabbed her phone and keys.

"I wasn't bad. I had all A's, and was on the cheerleading squad."

"And how did that go?"

"I was kicked off the squad because my ex boyfriends mom was the head coach."

Eren laughed again, standing up to walk Petra out. A part of him didn't want her to leave; her company was nice, and it was too quiet in the apartment.

"But screwing up is normal" she added, slowly walking to the door.

"Yeah" Eren nodded, knowing all too well about screwing up. "That is true."

Once Petra reached the front door, she turned around to leave some last minute tips. "If you have any questions concerning your schooling, feel free to call me. Just ask Levi for my number. Or you could ask him, it doesn't matter."

Eren nodded, and bit his bottom lip. There was something he wanted to ask. Something that had been gnawing on the edge of his mind since he met the man.

"Petra, what is Levi normally like?"

Petra hadn't expected that one, so her eyes widened in surprise. Eventually they went back to normal, and she answered.

"He's normally quiet, sometimes rude, but helpful, and a good leader" she said, wistfulness in her eyes. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but Levi does care about people. He just had a different way of communicating that."

"Like having a stick up his ass most of the time?"

They both laughed, and Petra nodded. "I know what you mean, Eren. When I first joined the Stohess department, I wanted to quit. Working with him was unbearable."

"So why didn't you quit?" Eren asked.

"Because my desire to help people is too strong. I always wondered, what kind of experiences would someone have to go through to be as closed off and tough as Levi. Then I found out that he grew up in some difficult situations, and even before he became a detective, he was still going through difficult situations. Although, I don't know what they entailed."

And Eren's curiosity had been piqued. "I understand" he said, promising to find out what those 'situations' were. There had to be a legitimate reason Levi acted the way he did towards people. There had to be some answer to the unknown article behind his platinum eyes.

"But I came around, as does everyone else. And you will too, so don't stress yourself about it."

Eren forced a big smile, and waved goodbye as Petra walked down the quiet hallway to the elevator.

When he closed the door behind him, he made special effort to lock and bolt. He decided getting started on his school work would be a good way to pass time, and so he went back to the kitchen to start.

He knew that amongst the courses, pre-calculus would be the one to kick him in the ass, hard. He was never really big on math, but he did well. So far, before his life took a sharp turn a few days ago, he hated his pre-cal class, and he wasn't doing so well in there. His teacher was a royal pain, and he taught at a fast pace that even Eren couldn't keep up with.

But the work needed to get done somehow, so with curses and sighs, Eren started on his assignments for each class.

"What the hell is this?"

"Money" Erwin said, taking a seat across from Levi.

Levi picked up the slip of paper and looked at it, an eye twitching.

"I'm fine on my own."

"I know that" Erwin said. "But this is a check to fund your taking care of a teenager for an indefinite amount of time."

"Did this money come from your cult?" Levi asked, placing the check back on his polished wooden desk. Erwin laughed and answered.

"We're not a cult, but yes. Geheimnis voted to fund you."

"You took a vote?" Levi asked incredulously. "Aren't you like the head of it or something? You have to ask for permission?"

"I am not the head" Erwin answered. "Not yet, anyway."

"Good. Hell knows you don't need your ego boosted any bigger."

"How's Eren?" Erwin asked, ignoring Levi's insult.

"Bad table manners. The kid doesn't even know _how_ to set a table."

"Levi, I meant how _is_ he?"

Levi knew what Erwin had meant, but he just felt like telling what stuck out to him the most. "He's fine. He hasn't burst into tears and clawed at the walls yet."

"Of course he wouldn't _claw_ at the walls. He's not a dog."

"You should have seen how he was eating last night."

Erwin laughed again and watched as Levi dutifully arranged papers, the check still sitting in the middle of the desk.

"Well" he said, standing up and walking to Levi's side, much to the shorter man's displeasure. "I didn't come in here to make casual conversation."

Levi watched Erwin lean down, the man's face close enough to his to feel his breath. "Erwin"

"I'm not coming on to you" he responded with a coy smile. Levi wanted to vomit. He had better not be; those days were over.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"We are going to Skype Dr. Zoe."

Levi immediately shut his mouth, and paid attention. Erwin was signing in to his account, and why did he have an account?

"Why do you have a Skype account?"

"So I can make money on the side by internet whoring, Levi. Goodness, I contact associates with this" Erwin answered, disbelief in his voice.

"I would have believed the first part more. Nothing like a blond haired, blue eyed-"

"It's dialing" Erwin interrupted sternly, not wanting to continue this conversation. He cleared his throat as it chimed, and soon the screen was showing a nice hotel room background, then it was ruined by a creepy face with goggle-like glasses and brown hair.

"Errrrwin!" Hanji cooed. "So good to see you."

"Hanji" Erwin stated, smiling professionally. "How is everything?"

"Oh, Hannover is beautiful!" they chimed. "I saw the Neues Rathaus today. It was amazing. The skyline is great from the top floor view. I even got to visit the place where they make the light-up, paper mache tarantulas-"

"Hanji" Erwin interrupted. "I meant the case."

"The case? Oh, yea, that thing" Hanji deadpanned, their excitement visibly decreasing. "I have a dinner date with Pixis Friday evening."

"What?" Erwin half yelled.

"So this is the shorty, huh?" they asked, pointing a white, plastic gloved finger to Levi. Levi's scowl set in, and it probably wasn't going to go away until this call was over, and then ten minutes afterwards.

"This is Detective Levi, our combat specialist" Erwin gestured a hand to Levi, who's face set in a displeased expression.

"Hiiii, Levi" they chimed. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I mean, not that _this_ is really meeting, but the era we live in depends on digital contact-"

"Hanji, please" Erwin said, and if Levi could have replayed it, it almost sounded like a whine. "Back to the case. What do you mean you're having dinner with Pixis?"

"I told you the man and I share the same interest on human innovation" they said, an excited gleam in their eyes. "Once I told him I was coming to Hannover, he insisted that we finally meet. After all these years of stalking his speeches and blogs, I get to meet him. I'm so excited!"

"Remember you are on a mission, Zoe" Erwin said, commanding tone setting in. "This is no time for games. Do you have any idea where Grisha is?"

And to that, Levi sat up in his chair a little more, hoping to hear some good news.

"Nope!" Hanji said. "But there was another kidnapping last night."

Erwin sighed, automatically tensing up. "Do we have any idea what they want?"

"Nope!"

"What the hell are you doing over there, Zoe?" Levi asked rudely.

"Excuse me" they said, offended. "Situations like this require delicacy."

"We don't have time for delicacy" Levi responded. "People are getting killed and a boy's father is missing."

"Oh yes, Eren Jaeger. How is he?"

"Hanji" Erwin said.

"It's not like I can figure this out on my own in a short amount of time. Give me time, Levi."

"Instead of sightseeing, shouldn't you be working?" he asked, challenging the researcher.

"Levi" Erwin interjected.

"How is he our combat specialist?" they asked, turning to Erwin, who was looking defeated. "He's so small."

"Would you like to find out, shitty glasses?" Levi said. Erwin choked, and to their surprise, Hanji laughed.

"I like him" they confirmed, a knowing smile on their face. "He has spunk."

Levi rolled his eyes at the word 'spunk.' He didn't have it, whatever it was.

"I'm glad you two get along" Erwin said, clearing his throat. "Now Hanji, this dinner date with Pixis had a lot riding on it. There are things that you are to find out as it is required, is that understood?"

"Yes sir Erwin sir" they saluted.

Erwin closed his eyes to avoid letting anyone see he rolled them, and sighed curtly. "Alright, I'm going to let you go now. I'm expecting results by Saturday morning, Zoe."

"You can count on me" she added, and then began to cackle. It was dry and menacing, and even Levi was a little frightened. The call ended abruptly, because Erwin hung up, and whistled as he moved to the other side of the desk.

"So, that was Dr. Zoe" he said.

"She's awful" Levi concluded. Erwin pursed his lips, wondering if he should correct Levi on the 'she' part, but he shook his head quickly and ignored it.

"That's them 99 percent of the time."

"What's the other one percent?" Levi asked, apparently not catching the 'them.'

"Serious Hanji. I don't like serious Hanji. Serious Hanji means something is really wrong."

"She called you sir" Levi said, resuming filing paperwork, the check still left where it was. "But you said you're not the head."

Erwin smirked and turned around to walk out of Levi's open office door, hands in pockets. "I'm not. Not yet."

Levi was sore. It felt like his bones were aching.

He missed this.

He walked, slower than his normal pace, down the hallway to his apartment, bag with his work clothes in hand. After work, he went to the gym. That wasn't something out of the usual, only now he would be going more frequently, and his regiment was tuned up. The regular laps, sit ups, and push ups, weren't going to cut it. Levi had always been a fit man, but in the predicament he was faced with, he needed to work so that his body would become numb to the small stuff. He couldn't be chasing after someone and stop because he was short of breath.

Opening his apartment door, he looked both ways down the building hallway before closing the door behind him.

Something was cooking, and his stomach growled immediately. The TV was on, playing some ridiculous reality show, and Levi trudged to the kitchen. Eren was leaning over the stove, stirring something, and his phone was in his other hand, scrolling.

"Texting and cooking don't mix."

"_Holy shit!"_

Eren turned around quickly, contents on the stirring spoon leaking off as he whirled around. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing kind of heavy.

"You scared the shit out of me, Levi" Eren concluded, quickly getting a paper towel to clean up.

"If you didn't have the TV up so goddamn loud you would have heard me come in, and watch your mouth."

Eren blinked disbelievingly at Levi. Someone with a mouth like his shouldn't be telling someone else to watch their language, but he let it go.

"Sorry" he mumbled, disposing of the paper towels and resuming his work. Levi was unfortunately suffering a temporary greediness caused by hunger, and went up to the stove to stand next to Eren and see what was being made.

"Broccoli soup?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. Eren looked over to Levi and smiled.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind. It's one of my favorites, and I got hungry."

Levi nodded curtly, and Eren watched him as he pulled a spoon from the silverware drawer in front of him, and moved in to sample. The consistency was great, and it tasted good despite how hot it was. Eren looked at him expectantly, waiting for praise or ridicule. Instead, Levi turned around and placed his spoon in the sink, starting to wash other dishes.

Eren sighed out loud. Of course he would give him no compliment. He knew his broccoli soup was good. He made it for Armin and Mikasa plenty of times. Despite what a healthy eater Mikasa was, she didn't really take to broccoli. Eren told her that was blasphemy and nearly shoved a spoonful of his soup in her mouth to change her ways. It took a lot of scratches and tackling, but in the end, Mikasa had been conformed.

However, the view of Levi posted up washing dishes was, dare he say, nice. The man said he would be going to the gym after work, and with the detective in his current outfit, Eren could really see his firm, lithe body.

Levi was in a sleek, black pair of exercise shorts, leaving his calves to Eren's view. He cocked his head to the side, wondering if calves could be considered a turn on. He always liked Jean and Reiner's calves due to the fact that they played sports, but Levi's moved smoothly underneath pale muscle and released tension as he stepped down and fuck what was wrong with him?

It also didn't help that Levi was sporting a black compression shirt, showing just how toned and muscular his body was. Eren looked at his arms; triceps flexing slightly. Levi was the definition of a healthy, however old he was, man, and Eren was a little jealous.

When Levi finally left the kitchen after cleaning dishes, Eren was able to fully focus on his task at hand, and not ogle someone who was out of his league and age range. A few more minutes and dinner was ready. Eren made sure he set the table properly this time. When Levi walked in on him, he hadn't been texting; he was actually looking at the diagram for a proper dinning setting.

"Soup spoon on the right, napkin on the left" he chanted. He pat himself on the back once he found it suitable; now Levi couldn't call him out on his 'horrible' dinning setup skills. It's not that he really cared; he just didn't feel like being insulted again.

He heard Levi go in the bathroom earlier, so he assumed he was taking a shower. He put the stove fire on a simmer, so that the soup wouldn't burn at the bottom, and it wouldn't get cold and clumpy.

He went to the living room, and turned the TV off. Levi was right; it had been loud. Eren just wanted something to drown out the silence in the apartment. As far as he knew, the man didn't have a stereo set-up, so Eren couldn't plug his phone into anything. He settled for setting his phone on the table and letting it play music while he worked, but it wasn't the same. Headphones added the bass and sound that he liked, but unfortunately, his headphones broke a couple weeks ago. Eren sat on the couch and patiently waited for Levi to get done showering. It felt like ages; the man was probably grooming himself, Eren thought. He liked everything neat.

Eren then noticed how tired he felt. He hadn't slept well last night, and it wasn't because of the couch. No, the couch was comfortable, and he fit on it perfectly, but it was his mind that was keeping him awake. He felt ashamed that he cried; tears never fixed anything. School work hadn't made that tiredness any better, especially pre-cal. He could already tell he was going to need Petra's help with it.

More minutes later, his stomach started growling. Deciding that Levi probably wouldn't care if he ate without him, Eren got up and went to the kitchen. He found a ladle and scooped up a generous amount of soup. He sat in the same chair as he did yesterday, and his eyes automatically wandered to look out the window. The view of the city was nice from Levi's floor. He wondered how long it would be before he could walk it again.

Levi walked in and looked at Eren for a short moment before grabbing his bowl off the table and heading to the stove. He was actually excited about eating this soup. A long time ago, his mom used to make broccoli soup, when she had the time. She would make bread to go along with it. Granted, they never had it often. It was kind of a luxury for them.

He blinked his eyes a few times to clear his head of the memories, and put his bowl on the table. He walked back to the fridge, and opened it to figure out what he wanted to drink.

Eren, who had been eating his soup modestly, lest Levi comment again, watched as the man moved around the kitchen. He felt dumb for appreciating the view of someone doing normal daily things, but he couldn't help it. Levi was just so…

He was wearing grey sweatpants and a loose black t-shirt. His hair was still slightly damp looking from his shower, but Eren liked it either way. His undercut was nice, and he wondered if they were back in style. Commander Smith had one, Jean, and Levi too. Eren wondered what he would look like with one, but quickly dismissed the thought when he thought of having to shave his head.

The first few minutes of eating went by in silence. Levi brought back two bottles of water for them from the fridge, and the crinkling sound of plastic was about as loud as it could get, it was so quiet. Finally, Eren couldn't take it anymore and asked.

"Do you like it?" he asked apprehensively. Levi stopped eating for a moment before speaking.

"It's good."

It wasn't really the answer Eren had wanted, but it would have to suffice. More minutes passed, and Eren spoke again.

"Well, Petra was really nice. Everything's set up for virtual school. I even got a few assignments finished today."

Levi nodded twice, slowly, but said nothing. Focusing on his food, and the outside world through the window.

"The English and science assignments were easy. Doing foreign language assignments on a computer was a little difficult though."

Levi looked up before pulling his spoon out of his mouth.

"What are you studying?"

Eren's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe Levi was talking to him. The elder had to fight the need to roll his eyes as he waited for an answer.

"French" the teen answered with confidence. "Everybody else is doing Spanish, but I wanted something different. I mean, it is becoming a primary language here, but still."

"Hm" Levi said, a smirk threatening to touch his lips. "Qu'est ce que vous aimez à propos de français?"

Eren smiled brightly after a second of looking stunned. "Okay, I only understood 'what', 'like', and 'French.'"

"I asked what do you like about French."

The teen pondered this for a moment before answering. "Well, I suppose I just wanted to do something different, but I do like the way it sounds. It flows. It's kind of sexy, too."

Eren wanted to sink to hell for saying that last line. He _really_ hadn't meant for that to come out, and he felt his cheeks heating in embarrassment. Levi looked mildly amused, and Eren quickly asked another question.

"How long did it take you to learn French?"

"I don't know. However long it takes a child to pick up on the words they hear every day."

Eren cocked his head to the side, and his eyes gleamed with curiosity. Levi didn't know why he noticed such a small thing, but whatever. He decided to expound for Eren's sake.

"I'm French."

Eren perked up, bright smile gracing his face again. "Oh!" he said. "That's so cool. How long did you live in France? What city did you live in?"

Levi inwardly cringed at all the questions about his life. They were innocent though, and he could answer them without really having to explain anything about himself, hopefully.

"Calais" he answered, voice low. "It sits on the coast, right on the English channel. I lived there until I was twenty two."

"Wow!" Eren said. "Why'd you leave? Wait…how old are you?"

Levi bit the inside of his cheek, hoping his mind would provide him with a good enough answer so that he wouldn't have to tell the truth. Unfortunately, his mind wasn't working fast enough from being put on spot so quickly, and Eren noticed this.

"It's okay" he said, smile fading somewhat. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. How long did it take you to learn English?"

"Years. I learned it along with my native language in school, and I'm twenty seven."

"Oh yeah" Eren said, silently disappointed with the age gap, lifting his spoon and twirling it. "Other countries have their students learn English along with their language as well. I remember my dad said…" he broke off for a moment at the thought of his dad, and then continued. "He said that it was hard for him to learn English. There were so many rules and exceptions; it didn't make sense to him."

"Do you speak any German?" Levi asked, getting ready to lick the bowl clean. Okay, not really. That's gross.

"Fliebend."

Levi cocked an eyebrow. Eren laughed.

"I said fluently. My dad has been teaching me since I was little. I plan to go to Germany one day, probably to Hannover just to see the city where he grew up."

Levi nodded, and listened as Eren continued to talk about places he wanted to visit. He found his bilingual status impressive and his slight wanderlust…endearing.

_Shit_. This was a problem. Levi found himself enjoying conversation with Eren a lot more than he should have. But the boy's eyes were locked on his, not breaking his gaze, and Levi, for the umpteenth time, was impressed with that too. Eren Jaeger wasn't _too_ bad. He thought the kid would be god awful from their first few meetings.

"Have you ever wanted to go back to France?" Eren asked, ending his dialogue to include the older man. "Back to the place where you grew up?"

Levi tensed for a moment, and relaxed. His eyes finally broke away from Eren's, much to the teen's confusion, and looked out the window. Had he ever wanted to go back? The answer was hell no. Not just no; hell no. He never wanted to see Calais again, really. When he left he silently vowed to never go there again. The place would bring on nothing but depression.

"No" Levi answered, standing up and taking his bowl and spoon to the sink to be washed. Eren watched him go with sad eyes.

'_Fuck'_ Eren thought, mentally chiding himself. Levi's life was a touchy subject for him, he could see. Petra had told him that Levi had been through some difficult situations. Eren suddenly wondered what his childhood was like. What happened to his parents? Were they alive or…did he have siblings?

These were things that he would probably never know the answer to, so Eren reluctantly stood up and took his bowl and spoon to the sink. He knew Levi wouldn't let him wash them, so he went to the stove and looked at the medium sized pot of broccoli soup. He turned the fire off, and spoke.

"Um, Levi. Where do you keep your tupperware?"

Said man spoke over his shoulder. "In the cabinet next to the plates."

Eren grabbed a container big enough to hold the rest of the soup comfortably, and placed it in the fridge. The awkward silence was back, and Eren wasn't enjoying it. So, he went back to the living room.

When Levi finished cleaning up the kitchen, he let out a sigh. He hadn't meant to 'turn Eren off' per say; he just didn't know how to respond. This was exactly why he didn't make conversation with people often. It's not that he wasn't good with words, but people would ask things that required him rendering information about himself and his life, and Levi didn't like that. He supposed if things had been different, he could be narcissistic like the rest of the world too.

Both males didn't speak to each other for the rest of the night. Levi went back to his room and stayed there, making Eren think he pissed the man off somehow. He wasn't sure; Levi always wore the same expression, but his vibe felt different at times.

More uncomfortable dreams flooded Eren's mind that night. Visions of the past, thoughts of the present revealed themselves in demented graphics, making his night on the couch another sleepless one.


End file.
